Location and blending in are also important for duck blinds. You want to be on or near the water in an area you know ducks will be present. A high vegetation area will help attract ducks and will also help you camouflage the blind. You can cover the blind in camouflage netting to match the area, and cut a slit in the front where you are going to shoot.
 
Ultimately, the ducks will tell you how well your blind is set up. If circling ducks tend to fly away from your blind, you need to make some changes.
 
Tree Stands
 
Tree stands are another effective way to hunt deer. Their height gives you better visibility while preventing the deer from seeing you. While they may not be as comfortable as a blind, they give you clearer shots by allowing you to shoot over limbs and branches. There are four types of stands:
 
Ladder – Essentially a small platform at the top of some steps. Great for people who don’t want to climb and/or are insecure at height. Stable, but also heavy, not very portable and take time to set up.
 
Climbing – Involves two pieces, a chair and a platform below it. Allows you to ‘climb’ the tree while in the stand. Portable and easy to set up, but only for certain trees and for people comfortable at heights.
 
Hang-on (Lock-on) – This has a seat and footrest attached to the tree. Popular because of their versatility, they are lightweight, easy to set up and will fit most trees. The disadvantage is you have to carry the steps and climb the tree.
 
Tower – Not a stand, per se, but a separate platform with 3 or 4 legs. It’s necessary in areas without trees. It’s the only real alternative in prairie-like environments. It is comfortable and stable, but not at all portable.
 
-Deer Abby
 
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work clothes — you’re more interested in them helping you get a job done than looking good (though that’s a plus, of course). Fit is very important because you’ll be doing a lot of different kind of stretching and exercising. When you raise your arms up, the whole jacket shouldn’t go up with them. And if you’re going to climb into a deer blind you want the pants to be cut plenty loose.
 
Temperatures vary greatly during hunting season and what is warm and snuggly at dawn may be stifling hot when the noontime sun arrives. The answer is layering — so you can peel back clothes as the mercury rises. It’s the same concept used in all kinds of winter activities in the Midwest, but some hunting apparel manufacturers have advanced the idea. Rocky Brands has introduced three different layers — Level I, II and III, to ensure temperature flexibility. “By the time you’ve stripped down to Level I, it’s almost like you’re in a t-shirt,” says company representative Sam Bowman.
 
While layering is a universal concept, there are specific clothing technologies designed for the hunter.  Various manufacturing techniques provide additional warmth as well as waterproofing. And there are ways clothing can make your quieter in the woods. Under Armour’s Ridge Reaper^® Camo Shell Jacket uses strategically stretched four-way fabric that reduces noise from the clothing.
 
Besides clothing, there are different color and tag requirements that vary state by state. David Avila from Master Sportsman suggests asking your Dunham’s sales associate for your local information.
 
Passing the Smell Test
 
The most acute sense for most animals is smell. Thus, it is critical you mask your scent in the field, and that is much more difficult than using camouflage or staying quiet. Virtually everything we come in contact affects how we smell. You can cover up smells, but the most effective way to eliminate them is with clothing designed to trap those odors.
 
Scent-Lok has been a pioneer in this field, using activated carbon. The system uses the process of physical adsorption, similar to a sponge only with air instead of water. In the fabric of clothing the carbon creates a bond that traps odor molecules produced by the body. Activated carbon acts like microscopic Velcro. When the odor molecules come into contact with the activated carbon, they are trapped within the pores until the product is reactivated.
 
Reactivation is achieved by putting the activated carbon fabric in a dryer where the heat from the dryer will break the bond with the odor compounds. The odor compounds are released and the activated carbon is virtually as good as new. Typically, reactivation should occur after 30 to 40 hours of use, but always check the garment for washing and drying instructions.
 
Under Armour has introduced new scent control clothing where the reactivation occurs in the washer, not the dryer. “The advantage,” according to Under Armour’s Eddie Stevenson, “is that you don’t need to have the heat of the dryer and the product will last longer.”
 
Camouflage Underwear?
 
And if you just have to be completely ready for the hunt, how about some camouflage underwear? Under Armour makes camo-design boxer briefs, but they aren’t just for “show.” They have the Under Armour signature sweat wicking power along with anti-odor technology.
 
-Deer Abby
 
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the right equipment.
 
Where to Take Your Stand
 
It seems obvious that you would locate your tree stand where game is active, yet too many hunters skip the preliminaries and erect a stand without scouting. So, the first rule is learn the habits of the game, then locate the stand. (For tips on scouting, see our trail cameras article on page 28.)
 
When placing a stand, don’t look for a tree that nicely suits your purpose, look for a site where deer are likely to be active, such as along a trail, near food or where bucks have left scrapes and tree rubs.
 
Once you’ve chosen your hunting ground, mount the stand on a tree that allows a good shot at the target area. Don’t locate upwind from the target site. Locate downwind and at least 30 yards away. The further away from the target you can position yourself, the better, providing you’re in range for a shot.
 
How High is High Enough
 
How far above ground you place your stand depends on some factors. If there are few obstructions to block your view, 10 to 15 feet above the ground is adequate. But if undergrowth extends above that height, you might have to mount your tree stand 20 feet up or higher. It’s all about getting to a position where you can see your target area.
 
Covering Up
 
Deer can see, you know, so you should provide cover. One strategy is to locate your stand amidst a group of trees that can shield you. You may have to clear a few branches to open up shooting lanes, but don’t overdo it. And while a duck hunter in the field may wear orange to avoid being shot, you don’t want to do that up in your stand. Camouflage clothing is the order of the day for tree-stand shooters. But keep an orange or red jacket in your equipment bag and put it on before you walk through the woods.
 
Shut Up and Shoot
 
You and your buddy may want to talk about last night’s NFL game. Don’t do it. Deer can not only smell and see, they can hear. And if you start talking sports in their presence, they’re going to hightail it out of there.
 
Selecting a Tree Stand
 
Among the popular tree stands offered at Dunham’s are the one- and two-hunter ladder stands from Big Game Tree stands. Designed to attach simply to a tree, the steel stands consist of a platform with one or two chairs and a ladder. They can be attached to a tree in a matter of minutes, blend well with the tree trunk, and provide a comfortable place to wait out the arrival of Mr. Buck.
 
Conventional steel tree stands from Big Game are similar in design, but come without the attached ladder. They’re available in a variety of sizes. The company also makes a climbing system that can be used with a conventional stand or to help set up a ladder stand.
 
Dunham’s stocks numerous tree-stand products from Rivers Edge Tree Stands. That company’s Twoplex™ Comfort Ladder is an 18-foot, two-hunter stand offering a padded shooting rail, extra-wide ladder and a comfortable mesh seat and backrest.
 
All tree stands come unassembled, but have few parts and go together quickly with common tools.
 
-Deer Abby
 
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Whether you are a seasoned hunter or searching for the ideal crossbow for your first hunt, you will be amazed by the selection of modern, high-tech crossbows now available at Dunham’s. Choosing the right type and model that best fits your needs and personal style will have a lasting impact on your hunting success for years to come because, with only minimal maintenance and care, most modern crossbows will last a lifetime.

A Recurve or Compound Crossbow
 
A recurve crossbow has tips that curve away from the archer. Solid limbs are attached to a sturdy stock. A longer draw length compared to an equivalent sized straight archery bow allows a recurve crossbow to produce tremendous power. Compound crossbows use either single or split limbs along with integrated pulleys or cam systems to capture maximum energy with a relatively short draw length. Although more complex and usually heavier than a recurve crossbow, hunters appreciate a compound crossbow’s more compact size, especially in tree stands or blinds where space is at a premium. The great news is that over the past few years’ manufacturers have pushed the technology envelope to make both recurve and compound crossbows lighter, stronger, faster and more accurate than ever before.

Simple Excellence
 
The Axiom SMF from Excalibur Crossbow is a powerful example of simplicity and excellence in a recurve crossbow at an affordable price.
 
“We believe that when you’re hunting, simple is better,” says Steve Scheffel of Excalibur Crossbows. “The biggest advantage of a recurve crossbow is the simplicity of it. There are very few moving parts. If you cock that string centered every time, it is going to shoot exactly the same every time. We also continually strive to improve our quality and performance each year. Hold our Axiom SMF in your hands and you’ll see that it’s an exceptionally well-designed and quality-built crossbow with a surprisingly affordable price.”
 
Lightweight construction, including a space-age composite stock, helps make the Axiom SMF one of the lightest recurve crossbows available. With a mass weight of under six pounds, it is incredibly easy to carry, easy to travel and easy to shoot. A computer-machined frame ensures precise arrow alignment and field accuracy. Capable of producing arrow speeds in excess of 305-feet-per-second, the Axiom SMF also features the same high-quality multiplex scope and trigger

safety system as some Excalibur models costing hundreds of dollars more.
 
Two impressive advantages the Axiom SMF also offers is that it can be decocked safely without shooting an arrow and, if necessary, the string can be replaced in the field without using a bow press. In addition, the Excalibur Axiom SMF kit available at Dunham’s also includes a rope cocking aid and arrow quiver, plus four Firebolt arrows complete with field points.

Size Does Matter
 
If you’re searching for a quality built, high-tech, dependable compound crossbow with plenty of performance, look no further that the Titan Extreme from TenPoint.
 
“We precision-engineer every detail of each crossbow we make, and that’s why TenPoint crossbows deliver the most dependable, accurate and high-performance shooting experience available today,” says Brian Osterwalder of TenPoint Crossbow Technologies. “What makes our Titan Extreme really special is that it is only 16 ½ inches wide in the cocked position. That compares to some compound bows that are up to 27 inches wide. We’ve also made the Titan Extreme lighter, quieter and easy to cock. Our patented DFI system (Dry-Fire-Inhibitor) prevents dry-firing when not loaded. And for better accuracy and shooting distance we’ve also increased speed up to 333-feet-per-second.”
 
A new longer and narrower thumb-hole stock and light-weight, quick-disconnect quiver contribute to reduced weight. A quiet operating automatic safety system reduces noise and accommodates both right and left-handed shooters. The Titan Extreme is also surprisingly easy to cock for hunters of all ages and physical abilities or limitations. In fact, TenPoint’s patented ACUdraw cocking mechanism requires only about seven pounds of pressure to turn the handle at the maximum position.
 
The Titan Extreme kit available at Dunham’s includes TenPoint aluminum arrows plus a ProView scope with a wider field of view compared to a typical rifle scope. As an added bonus, the scope is pre-sighted from zero to 50 yards at the factory. Multiple crosshairs also illuminate in low-light conditions and can be switched to either green or red, just by turning a dial.

Scary Fast and Quiet
 
If power is your passion and stealth is your style, the Barnett Ghost 400 with Step thru Riser in CarbonLite™ technology is the crossbow to own. The patented ultralight, super strong riser lengthens the power stroke without placing the cocking string beyond arms length. Durable CarbonLite technology removes nearly 43 percent of weight from the front end which dramatically shifts the balance point to the shoulder. The MIM (Metal Injection Molding) trigger contains the added safety precaution of an ADF (Anti Dry Fire) feature which eliminates unintentional dry firing.
 
Barnett Crosswire® strings and precision-engineered whiplash cams ensure smooth, quiet and accurate shots at up to 400-feet-per-second. The Ghost 400 also features Barnett’s high-tech, anti-vibration isolation technology (AVI) which uses a special soft-touch material molded over quad laminated limbs to help reduce noise and vibration up to 30 percent over standard limb designs. AVI also helps prevent damage from unintentional contact with objects in the field or during transit.
 
“We are devoted to quality and committed to excellence,”

says Jackie Allen of Barnett Crossbows. “In the last few years we have developed our largest range of lightweight, dependable, adjustable and powerful bows based on the changing needs and desires of today’s hunters. Barnett in conjunction with Dunham’s offers a bow to fit most everyone’s needs.”

Only at Dunham’s
 
The Barnett GameStrike crossbow is available exclusively at Dunham’s. With high-tech features such as a patented Step thru Riser in CarbonLite technology, MIM Anti-Dry Fire trigger and AVI technology, the Game Strike produces arrow speeds up to 375-feet-per-second. An adjustable stock also includes an adjustable cheek piece. A picatinny universal rail allows accessories such as an action camera to be quickly and easily undermounted. The GameStrike is value packed, complete with a quiver, three Carbon Arrows, a 3 x 32 illuminated scope, a rope cocking device and a convenient travel sling.
 
Also available at Dunham’s, the Barnett Quad 400 Extreme features a comfortable high-tech composite stock with a contoured cheek piece and parallel limb design which produces arrow speeds over 345-feet-per-second. Ready to go out of the store and on your next hunt, the Quad Extreme kit includes a quiver, 4 x 32 scope, three arrows and an installed crank cocking device.

Make Sure It Feels Right
 
Even with so many choices and models available, choosing the right crossbow that matches your needs and personal style does not need to be difficult. “The more you know, the happier you’ll be,” says Allen. “Knowledgeable Dunham’s sales professionals can help you make an informed decision. Remember to also take some time to hold the crossbow in your hand. Feel it, touch it, and make sure it’s the right size and shape for you. It’s a very personal choice, and you want it to be right.”
 
-Deer Abby
 
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By Todd Amenrud

(reprinted from NBS Outdoor)

 The big Minnesota buck stood at the edge of a picked corn field about 250 yards away, and even from that distance I could see he was a definite shooter.

Rather than skirting the field and coming by my stand just off of the corner, he cut straight across the middle. What to do? I picked up my rattle-bag and cracked it as hard as I could. He stopped and turned his head toward me. I hit the rattle bag a second time and he came on a steady trot in my direction. Once he reached 100 yards he slowed to a fast walk and started to swing downwind.

Long story short … he stood 80 yards downwind of me hardly moving a muscle for almost 5 minutes. The only movements were his ears searching for the two bucks he had just heard and his nose waving in the breeze scanning for other supporting evidence. He turned and disappeared slowly over the ridge.

What makes a situation seem real to you?

Sight, sound, scent, feel — the more senses we appease the more realistic a scenario seems to us. And that’s also true for whitetails. A hunter can use a combination of techniques to appeal to multiple whitetail senses at once. On that day, I sure wish I would have set up some scent or placed a decoy to draw his attention and coax him in the final 80 yards.

Does, fawns, and young bucks often will ramble straight into a well-placed decoy, a scent that’s been placed out properly, or a vocalization that sounds authentic. Mature bucks, though, almost always needs confirmation from more than one source before they plow forth into the unknown.

The nose knows.

If you can fool a whitetail’s sense of smell, you’ve almost got it made. Just like sight is our most believable sense, (“seeing is believing”) a whitetail’s most trusted guide is his nose. That doesn’t only mean that hunters must use scent to draw them in, it also means that hunters must practice a strict scent-elimination regimen. Actually, when it comes to fooling the whitetail nose, the most important step is probably to keep foreign smells completely out of the picture — by using Scent Killer, for example. If a mature buck smells the sweet smell of estrus, intermingled with an unfamiliar “danger” smell, his instinct for survival will win out and your work will go for naught.

The eyes have it.

Scent (or thereof) can con a whitetail’s sense of smell. But you can help seal the deal by addressing more than one of their senses at a time. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the art of using decoys to fool the whitetail’s sense of sight.

The first step is to start with the correct decoy. Pay special attention to the decoys’ posture and movement. Decoys that are in an alert posture typically will bring in deer in an alert, edgy temperament. They may come to within 40 to 60 yards, snorting and stomping the ground at your decoy, or at whatever has caused your decoy to be so alert. A decoy with an alert, intimidating posture is useful at times, but for most deer throughout most of the season you’ll be better off with a decoy displaying a more serene pose.

Movement is important too. When is it natural for a standing deer to be totally motionless? The answer is, when it’s alert, when something is wrong or out of place, or just before it’s about to bolt. None of those scenarios evoke the emotions you want your whitetails to feel.

There are all kinds of ways to add motion to decoys — from tying a string to a chicken feather or white hanky, taping the string to the hind end or ear of the decoy and letting the wind move it; to tacking a real whitetail-tail to the hind end of the decoy and operating it with monofilament line. Granted, in a 15-mph wind, the chicken feather flutters so fast it looks like the decoy is about to take flight. But I believe extreme motion is better than no motion at all. You can also purchase a decoy kit that’s designed to convert standard decoys into motion decoys, or purchase a decoy that has moving parts.

One of the three biggest whitetails I’ve ever seen in my life showed up to a small central Iowa alfalfa field one December day. I had a doe decoy in front of my ground blind about 30 yards and I had just rattled, imitating my best “two bucks fighting over a hot doe” possible. When this guy made the scene, I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. He was a perfect 6×6 with 14-inch tines, mass throughout, and an inside spread exceeding 20 inches. This buck easily would have scored over 200 inches. He was a sight to see, even though I didn’t get a shot.

He hopped the fence in a shelterbelt about 120 yards away, and once he reached the alfalfa he stood staring at my motionless decoy. Although he stood in one spot, his ears were scanning and his tail swung occasionally — motion that my decoy lacked. The big guy suspected something and wouldn’t come any closer. Another 135-inch 5×5 showed up in the opposite corner of the small 20-acre field. He wouldn’t come closer either, because he knew where he ranked in this social standoff. In the span of about an hour, I brought the mammoth buck as close as 60 yards three different times by rattling and smacking the antlers on the ground as hard as I could. But, each time he stopped short to stare at my motionless decoy. In this case, multiple stimuli worked great to bring the animals in, but the lack of movement on my decoy prevented me from closing the deal. (I did manage to kill the smaller 5×5 the next morning at a mock scrape set-up.)

Sometimes an alert posture will work. Sometimes I prefer an alert, aggressive posture. If I’m after a mature buck, playing the “competition card” by using aggressive tactics has worked great for me. I wish I would have had that scenario ready to go for that Iowa buck! When you’re targeting any deer, the most important detail is to give that particular deer a reason to interact with your set-up.

What time of year is it? Are you after a specific buck or doe, or will any deer do? What age-class buck are you after? Think about what that deer would want at that time of year, and give it a reason to close the distance. For any deer, any time of year, a decoy in a feeding, greeting, or bedded posture works best.

 To combine scent and decoying, first you must eliminate foreign odors. First clean your decoy with Scent Killer soap, then touch it only while wearing gloves, and always store it someplace where foreign odors will not transfer onto it. If you need to transport your decoy, first place it in a garbage bag or something that will seal out odors.

When choosing lures and scents, again, think about what the deer you’re after wants at that specific time of the season. Early season, you might use plain buck or doe urine … just something to add realism to the scenario. Closer to the rut, you might scent your buck decoy with a combination of Active Scrape and Mega Tarsal Plus: the first provides a full-spectrum scrape aroma and the other is a territorial-intrusion scent. This helps create the illusion that your fake buck is moving into his breeding territory. Consider how and why a buck might interact with your set-up, and give them a reason to close the distance.

When dispersing scent, I prefer to place it on a Pro-Wick or a Key-Wick near the decoy rather than applying it directly to the decoy. The simple reason is that a week later, your decoy won’t smell like last week’s pee and you won’t have to constantly scrub it down.

Calling all bucks.

Calling can be a lethal weapon in your arsenal. What works will vary depending on the situation: add soft, social grunts during early season while using a buck decoy; add an estrus bleat combined estrus lure during the rut … it all depends. One of my favorite tactics just before and after the peak of the rut is to place a small buck decoy over a bedded doe decoy, then try to create the illusion that two bucks are fighting over the fake doe in estrus. Between rattling sequences, I might imitate an estrus bleat. Special Golden Estrus helps pull off the ruse.

Taking the decoy out of the picture and using scent and calling/rattling together happens much more often than adding a decoy to the list of tools. But even minus the decoy, the combination of calling or rattling and scent works great. They hear “deer sounds,” then circle downwind and smell “deer smells,” which gives them the confidence to close the distance. Where a decoy requires some forethought, calling and scent, whose tools are easily carried in your pack, can be spontaneous.

When I specifically venture forth in an attempt to rattle in a buck, I almost always use real antlers. Their true-to-life resonance and the extra subtle sounds you can create with them, like scraping a tree or smacking the ground, can’t be achieved with a rattle-bag or plastic gadget. Still, I’ve called in the most bucks with my rattle-bag simply because it’s with me all the time.

Decoys are fun to use, but it’s really that “one-two punch” of calls and scent that produce the most consistent results. Last season, calls and scent helped me harvest a wide 4×4. It was November 7, the first day of a hunt on my Ontario property and I had just laid a scent trail of Special Golden Estrus right down the logging road that leads past one of my blinds. After parking the ATV downwind I got into the blind, looked over my shoulder, and saw a doe rounding the corner on the logging road. There was no chance to ready my equipment because there was more movement on the other side. When I looked back, a buck we had named Patches (because of the white piebald spots on his shoulder) was already 60 yards away coming down the trail with his nose to the ground following the scent. He caught me getting my equipment ready and we did the “Mexican standoff.” I lost. He turned around and bounded out of view. I grabbed my rattle bag and popped it, gave a loud vocalization with my voice, but I figured I had just goofed that one.

Thirty seconds later a doe and a fawn rounded the corner and 5 seconds later another doe was being pushed around the corner. I realized Patches was doing the pushing, and I was thankful for the second chance. The buck must have thought one of those does was the source of the enticing Special Golden Estrus; he wasn’t going to leave even though he had just seen me moments before. Because I’m always very careful about scent elimination and scent transfer, he never cold confirm that I was dangerous. Special Golden Estrus plus the great timing of a couple of does saved me on this hunt.

Some hunters think that trying to appeal to more senses leaves you prone to making more mistakes. Details are important whenever you hunt whitetails, but if you use common sense, keep human scent out of the picture, and present the most natural set-up possible, results will follow.

Remember: Why would a specific deer want to interact with your set-up? How he might interact with the scenario you’ve presented — to socialize or to compete? The more realistic you can make it seem, the better your results will be.

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Animal are naturally attracted to food, so anything they want to eat will generally attract them.  Minerals, on the other hand, contribute to long-term animal health.  Calcium and salt help promote antler and bone growth in deer and elk, and a variety of minerals will contribute to the general health of animals (just like with human).

Knowing Where to Put Attractants…

While food and minerals will attract wildlife, knowing where to put them will improve effectiveness.  The key is to put the material where animals feel comfortable.  “The biggest mistake hunters usually make with attractants is to put them out in the open, where animals are going to be skittish,” says Tim Carnahan of Evolve Habitats.  “You want animals to feel protected, so choose places that have natural cover and where the animals will naturally gravitate.  You don’t want to just put them out in the middle of a field–the animals won’t feel safe.”

Some liquid gel products can be effectively spread over a decaying log or stump and will slowly soak into the wood, making the whole thing a treat that your deer will consume.  Reapply until the entire stump or log is consumed.  It can be used to create a lick on bare ground by just pouring over the site and letting it soak in.

…And when to Put Them Out

Feed can be put before or during the hunting season, while minerals tend to have a longer lasting effect.  Putting a mineral mix in the ground will bring animals back over and over.

Time release products mean you don’t have to keep going back to a site, which adds convenience.  Place one or two blocks of the attractant product in an established mineral site to provide months of attraction without having to return to the site.  To establish a new site, place one or two blocks in the middle of a bare spot, 4′ in diameter.  Rainfall will be needed to activate the site, allowing the minerals to fully leach into the ground.

Mineral supplements attracts deer by application, moisture will cause these minerals to keep reacting and attracting deer.  Bucks seeking minerals for overall health and rack development will drawn to site to lick, paw, mark and consume the minerals.

Bucks will want to protect the sire by rubbing, scraping and rolling in the mineral site to mark it as their own.  The buck’s action will naturally lead to the attraction of more deer.  Over time, a large deer wallow will be created as many deer develop the habit of frequenting the site to consume the beneficial minerals.

*Regulation vary from state to state ( and even from county-to-county) on feeding wildlife. Be sure to check with your appropriate government agency before developing your feeding plan.

-Deer Abby

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Size — Buy More Than You Need

The first thing to decide is how big the safe needs to be. Experts agree here — buy more size than you need, at least more than you need right now. Your gun collection is bound to grow over time. A good safe is more than just a gun locker — it becomes a secure storage device for your family’s other valuables as well. You’ll find you quickly fill up even a large safe. Spend the money for the size, protection, and features you want. Your gun collection may be worth many tens of thousands of dollars. Some people who visit Dunham’s wouldn’t hesitate to spend $450 on a EOTech Sight or $1100 for a custom action, yet they don’t want to spend more than a few hundred dollars on a safe. That’s not common sense.

“The most common mistake gun enthusiasts make in buying a safe is to not plan ahead,” says Ken Wolowicz of Stack-on-Safes. “People will think ‘I have 10 guns, so I need a safe to hold that many.’ But just because you have 10 guns, doesn’t mean you won’t get more. You can always use the extra space now for other items — hunting accessories or even other family possessions.”

Fire Protection

One of the biggest reasons to have a gun safe is to protect those guns in case of fire. Fire protection ratings vary a great deal among safes. That rating is usually expressed in terms of temperature (degrees) and time. A safe rated at 1200 degrees for 30 minutes means that a fire of 1200 degrees (typical for a house fire) can burn for a half hour without the interior exceeding 350 degrees — enough to damage contents. Considering that most house fires are put out in 15-20 minutes, that half hour protection is usually adequate.

To be especially cautious, if you keep other valuables (jewelry, documents, etc.), consider having a smaller safe within the gun safe — that way you are doubly protected.

What Kind of Lock?

Standard combination locks remain the most popular with gun safes, but electronic versions are becoming more popular. Both kinds of locks offer security, so it really comes down to personal preference. Electronic locks tend to add a bit to the cost, so you pay for their convenience — it’s up to you.

Be Flexible

Ken Wolowicz says the most important consideration in shopping for a gun safe is to be flexible. “You want a safe that you can modify to fit your own particular needs,” he says. “You might want special shelving, and you might want to change things around based on new purchases you make, or new things you want to store. Look for a safe that lets you be creative in how you arrange things inside.”

You can easily build a replacement that fits the guns you own, not the guns some marketing director thinks you have. For scoped guns, you need to increase clearance from the sidewalls 3” or more (assuming scope-side faces the safe wall). To ease access, you should also increase the spacing between guns. If you have a number of benchrest rifles with square, 3”-wide fore-ends, consider building a shelf with 3.5” rectangular slots instead of the typical tight half-circle cutouts. This will give you a rock-solid mounting point that won’t allow the rifle to bang into its neighbor.

If you have a variety of AR-type rifles, some long and some short, you can build a simple stepped box that sits on the safe’s floor. Place your 20”+ ARs on the bottom step and the short-barreled ARs on the upper step.

Water Protection

One much overlooked aspect of gun safe performance is the ability to protect the contents from water damage (due to floods, plumbing leaks, or water from fire-fighting). In the aftermath of the flooding in New Orleans, more people are thinking how they can keep water out of their safes. The first thing you can do is create a raised concrete platform. This will also make it easier to access items in the bottom of the safe.

Then, you should ensure that all holes in the safe base or sides are sealed with heat-resistant silicone or similar caulking material. This will also help safeguard the contents from fire damage.

-Deer Abby

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If bagging a whitetail buck or doe on your annual fall hunt has become more of a challenge, patience or practice are most likely at the root of the problem. And while patience is a virtue, a consistent practice regime using a variety of different deer targets can definitely help maximize your in-field results.

“Bow hunters who bag trophy deer know the importance of staying physically fit and mentally sharp all year long,” according to Jake Stark of Delta Sports Products. “They’ll make time to practice with a bag target during the spring and summer, hone their shooting skills with realistic 3-D targets as the season approaches and then take a quality foam target along on the hunt to dial-in their technique during any downtime.”

Top-notch sportsmen and athletes make time to practice all season long. They know the importance of exercise and a consistent approach. Eye sight, muscle memory and physical strength can all fade if not exercised periodically throughout the year.

Bag Target Benefits

If you haven’t shot a bag target in some time, you’ll really be surprised how dramatically they have evolved and how much bang for the buck they offer. Available in a wide variety of sizes and styles, new bags are super-durable, weatherproof and engineered to stop field point arrows from even the heaviest bows and crossbows.

The Team RealTree^® Bag Target from McKenzie Targets offers a huge surface area with a realistic full-color deer image on the front and RealTree camo design on the sides. It features a tough durable synthetic filler, and allows easy two-finger arrow removal.

A new Speed Bag from Delta is designed specifically for practice with today’s high-speed, high-performance bows and crossbows shooting up to 400 feet-per-second. It offers a massive 24-inch surface plus all the benefits of the Speed Bag series, including easy arrow removal, a tough filler, and a heavy-duty outer shell for unbelievably long life.

“At the very least,” according to Stark, “you should start a few months before the season begins and shoot 30 to 50 arrows per session. Practicing with a partner may also help you improve each other’s form and technique.”

3-D Drama

As the season approaches, hone your shooting skills with a realistic 3-D practice target. Affordable tournament and practice 3-D targets are available in a variety of styles. Many include removable antlers, flexible ears, replaceable vitals, either ASA or IBO scoring options and twist-lock assembly for easy setup and teardown.

The new Challenger 3-D target from Delta Sports a big buck body and big rack to help prepare you for the moment of truth in any blind or stand. Tough, durable microcellular foam ensures exceptional arrow stopping, extended core life and easy arrow removal.

The new McKenzie Smackdown Series E-Z Mack Buck replicates a life-size deer with a huge body, aggressive posture, and a big rack. It’s designed to stop arrows that might blow through other targets and E-Z Pull Foam technology ensures it will stand up to hours of heavy practice.

Delta’s Archer’s Choice Real-World Magnum elevates any practice session to the next level. The AC Magnum comes with a rotating stand that spins up to 180 degrees when the target is struck by an arrow. So, once it comes to rest, you experience another shooting angle.

Delta’s new Kill Zone target is designed specifically for hunters on the go. The compact life-like mid-section features a handle for easy, go-anywhere portability. The durable lightweight design also ensures it fits easily in a travel bag, cargo compartment or bed of a pickup truck.

“Whichever 3-D target you choose,” adds Stark, “remember to concentrate on shot placement; draw back slowly and steadily, and release each arrow smoothly.”

Foam Targets on the Hunt

On the hunt, don’t waste downtime away from your blind or stand. Remember to bring along a quality foam target to dial in your shooting technique. Foam and foam plank targets are available in a variety of sizes.

McKenzie’s ShotBlocker^® targets are the ultimate in layered foam practice targets. They feature a patented Welded-Core™ technology that eliminates the need for plates, cables, wires, straps or bands. What you get is a tougher target with layers or sheets that can’t shift, move or fall apart. They can be shot on all four sides, and best of all, the foam slivering that you get from most layered targets when shooting broadheads is practically eliminated.

“Make time to practice throughout the year,” says Stark, “stay physically fit and mentally sharp, practice with a variety of targets, and you’re sure to increase your chance of bagging that trophy whitetail you’ve been dreaming about.”

-Deer Abby

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