One thing I like to do in the spring is to sit around and wonder how my belly got so big in the off-season. It’s only natural, right? Now that I have you chuckling and interested in what comes next, here are some things I am planning on and for in 2022.
Let’s face it, as we grow older we get a little lazier, more complacent and our bodies change. Then we tend to grow out more than we would like. It’s harder to stay in shape, but it can be more of a mental game, too. I struggle with wanting to workout and exercise, unless it’s hiking in the woods. I don’t like gyms, but they are a necessary evil sometimes when you live in the city. It’s the motivation to get there. And no, it doesn’t help when your friends bust your chops or tell you it’s easy. Keep that to yourself. It’s not helpful. Why not plan a weekly hike or walk around with some friends? I only have a couple places near me even worth that thought, so I have to think outside the box and sometimes travel a bit further than I’d like. Each of us can make it work if we set realistic goals. I have figured out I have about a 5-year cycle of losing the weight, keeping it off for a couple years and then it creeps back in. I hope to change that.
Setting out some trail cameras to see what bucks are dropping sheds and see where the pigs are is another good way to get out in nature. While theft of cameras is on the rise (sadly), fewer people will be in the forests during winter and you have a decent chance of seeing what animals are still around. It’s a great opportunity to hike, scout, and get a feel for the land long before hunting season is upon us. Find a good hiding spot for your cameras. If you can spot it when walking by, so can another person. If they would have to search for it, your odds of it being there in a month or two are good.
As I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate an incredibly sharp knife. I find that sharpening my knives is therapeutic and gives me time to relax. Using a wet stone is my favorite method. Once you get the stroke and angle exact, your blades will have a mirrored edge and cut better than they ever have before. After you use a knife, it only take a few strokes to get it back to a razor edge.
It is never too early to scout! I love glassing, especially if I can go scouting with some friends. My Vortex spotting scope and Razor HD 12×50 binoculars (both mounted to a tripod) are excellent tools. Some advice for those not seeing deer is to sit longer in one spot and sit still! A few new hunters I have taken out are ridiculously antsy and can’t sit for longer than 10 minutes. If you want to see deer in SoCal, you are going to have to learn to sit still for 20-30 minutes at a time.
Along the lines of sharpening knives, I have one or two in mind that I would like to purchase and test out. With those, I have a few other gear reviews in the mix that I am excited to work through. Some will require physical labor to field test and others sitting at home. There may be a boot review, a knife review, and possibly a quality game camera review. I am excited for all of them!
Thin out some squealers or some song dogs! As an animal you can hunt year-round in California, feral pigs are highly sought after and are a nuisance, albeit a delicious nuisance. Now is the time to begin making phone calls to the California DFW and see if anyone is calling them with pig issues on their land. It’s worth a shot! Otherwise, pay an outfitter and make a weekend of it. Get out there before the temps start rising above 90 degrees on a regular basis. You never know when you might find a lucky break and get to hunt some pigs on private land. One of the things I have discovered over the past few years is that more people are willing to let you hunt their land if you simply ask them. Most areas in SoCal only allow the use of archery equipment and possibly crossbows, but that shouldn’t stop you! In fact, that should fire you up and I encourage you to ask. With all of the damage that feral pigs do to land, many property owners can obtain a depredation permit that will allow you to hunt their property. Pig tags are not required when using a depredation permit.
As we are all facing a bit of cabin fever and are over the pandemic (and mandates), we need to get out of our own heads. We also need to escape our comfort zone, even a little. Make a trip to the woods with a digital camera, field test out those new boots, and better yet, invite your family and friends to get out there with you while you test. I have some plans popping up in my mind as I write this and I am excited! Whether it’s a solo jaunt or a team effort, we can all set realistic goals and have some fun in 2022.
Al,
Which spotting scope do you have and how do you like the Razor HD series over the Viper series? Is it worth the coin to bump up to the Razor’s?
I use Viper HD 10×50’s. They do not require stabilization. I have considered 12×50’s. Are you able to use your 12×50’s freehand without movement issues?
Be LIMBITLESS!
Aaron
Excellent questions, Aaron. I use the Vortex Viper HD 20-60X85 (ANGLED) spotting scope. Quite honestly, the straight might be a better option for me, but I still like using this one. I like it because I use it in conjunction with my Razor HD binoculars. I only use it when I need to see if something far away is a buck or not, or if it is an animal worth pursuing. I also use it for filming, which is a benefit.
Your second question is one I love to answer. You are correct in that the Viper HD 10x50s don’t require stabilization. In fact, the Razor’s don’t either, but here is why I highly recommend using stabilization. The human eye is designed to detect movement and while it may not seem like much, when you handhold for longer periods of time, you shake a bit. Even short periods of time, you shake. Just your heartbeat can cause enough movement to throw you off. That forces your eyes to work harder. Hand holding them is great for short approaches, but for long-term scouting, mounting them to a tripod allows you to focus on the movement on the hillside and not the movement caused by your hands shaking. It also allows you to relax and focus on glassing a grid pattern to spot movement. It also keeps you from moving too much. If you are constantly moving binos up to your face and down again, it’s enough movement for a deer to catch. This topic is something I talk about in my seminars as I mention I would rather glass with an inexpensive binocular (mid-level quality or above) versus handholding even a 10×42 binocular. Keep in mind, this is mainly for my western hunts and hunting the mountains and foothills. When I am hunting from a treestand or even hunting farmland, I do not use a tripod or a spotter.
Looking forward to more great questions and this one might be a good topic for an online seminar. Interested?
Cheers,
Al