2014 Davy Beecroft's Trip Pictures
During this spring combination bear, turkey, and salmon trip, Davy Beecroft and his family enjoyed hunting, fishing and retreat activities. Daily adventures is what it's all about at the Flying B Ranch. Thank you to the Beecrofts for another great trip.
Davy was determined to harvest a bear with his bow on the first night of the hunt.
Hunting Guide Chad Weber put Davy in a good position for a shot at this turkey, and Davy made sure he was successful.
How to Stay Safe in Bear Country
Written by: Phil Monahan
This time of year, many anglers and wilderness lovers are planning trips into the backcountry, oftentimes in places where there are wild bears. In the vast majority of situations, humans and bears coexist peacefully in the wild, and tens of thousands of encounters occur without incident every year. But when bears do become aggressive, you’ve got to react quickly to protect yourself. The best way to do this is to carry a can of bear-deterrent, which sprays concentrated capsaicinoids—the stuff that makes hot peppers hot—to cause irritation in the bear’s eyes, nose, and throat.
Hunting South Africa with JohnX Safaris
"There must be a million reasons to go to Africa, but until last year, none of them had drawn me there. At the urging of friends and family I booked a trip; not fully knowing what was in store, but thoroughly excited nonetheless. Along with my wife (herself an Africa veteran), some good friends and their adult son we decided to meet in Cape Town on July 2nd for the quick flight to Port Elizabeth. We were met by our JohnX guides upon arrival and driven to the Lalibela Game Reserve, where we would enjoy part of our stay. July is winter time in South Africa, and the fireplaces indoors and outdoors were a fine welcome at the hunter’s lodge. I left immediately to shoot for my guide (not a very impressive performance) until he was (somewhat) satisfied that I wouldn’t be a danger to myself or others around me.
Grilled Elk Medallions Recipe
Peppered Grilled Elk Medallions with Red Wine Sauce & Lingonberry Compote
Serve with desired vegetable and starch. Scalloped potatoes or roasted red bliss potatoes are a nice accompaniment.
Ingredients
3 pounds: Elk, Deer or Venison Top round (denuded-removing the side muscle and all the silverskin on the top)
1 bottle red wine, 750ml
2 14oz cans beef broth
1-2 packets of beef gravy mix
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 C frozen lingonberries (There may be lingonberry compote available at your local higher-end grocery store. Another berry may be substituted)
1 6oz can of pineapple juice
3 T cornstarch (hydrated in enough water to make a thick liquid)
Back Country Bear Hunting Experience
This past spring Joe DeProspero and I packed into the Selway River for a spring black bear hunting trip. It was Joe’s third spot-and-stalk hunt in the Selway wilderness for bear.
He has been on many hunts at the Flying B Ranch since 2011, which includes the successful harvest of four bear, whitetail and mule deer, and the elusive mountain lion. He and I spoke in February about a particular drainage we had glassed on a previous hunt.
The drainage was intimidating and if there is anyone up for a challenge, it is Joe.
We made plans to pack in about 12 miles up the river and set up camp to hunt six days in an area we thought had probably not seen a lot of people for quite some time.
Fly Fishing the Idaho Backcountry
By Flying B Guide Jeremi Syron
For the past six years Tom Ciriack and his two children, Callahan and Hailey, have joined us in the backcountry fly fishing for west slope cutthroat trout at our Osprey Creek backcountry camp.
As always, our horses and pack mules were ready and eager waiting on our group to gather and eventually take us on the five mile trail ride into camp. Tom, however, preferred to make the trip on foot with Flying B fishing guide, Rich Coe. This year our horses “Travis”, “Laney” and “B-bop” carried the gear loads while “Stud Muffin” and “Dutchboy” carried Hailey and Callahan, both experienced riders.
Pro Tips: Proper Set Up, More Broken Targets
Written by: James Ross, Orvis Chief Shooting Instructor
Many shooters I’ve worked with recently have had problems with consistency. Many of these problems can be easily corrected by paying attention to your set up or pre-shot routine. Here are some tips to remember for proper set up and improved shooting.
Feet First. If your stance is not correct, then you are going to have problems with the rest of the game. Make sure you address the break point of the target, not where it is coming from. New shooters have a tendency to favor setting up their stance toward where the target is coming from, instead of where they want to break the target. This can lead to problems in keeping the gun speed consistent with the target. If your body is binding up at the point where it should be moving smoothly, the gun slows down and you are behind the target.