Outdoorsman Time

tips for the modern sportsman

Visiting The Grand Canyon For Hiking or Camping

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The Grand Canyon is one of many great American attractions that everyone should see at least once. It is not only a great place for sight seeing, but you can enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation activities. From its history to its majestic beauty, it has a way of capturing the attention of all who visit. However, if you have never visited the Grand Canyon you may have many questions as to when to come, what to see, and more. The following tips will help you plan a great trip to the Grand Canyon.

Best Time of Year

Although summer is incredibly hot in the Grand Canyon, that is the time of year when most people visit. They come during the summer to camp and spend time at the Grand Canyon when their families are out of school and able to vacation. Although it is a good time to visit, it is also crowded. If you are looking to avoid the crowds, try coming after Labor Day and before Memorial Day. The Grand Canyon is beautiful year round and is enjoyed just as much in the winter as it is during the summer.

Getting Here

Although some people can just hop in the car and drive to the Grand Canyon, not all families have that luxury. If you are traveling via airplane, there are two major airports to fly into; The Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, or Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. The drive to the Grand Canyon is shorter from Las Vegas than from Phoenix, but if you are looking to see more of the area and surrounding attractions, the drive from Phoenix is worth the extra time.

Must-Do

Many people come, take in the spectacular view of South Rim and miss out on the full experience. For Starters the view at sunset is the best, so be sure if the only thing you do is look over the South Rim that you do it at sunset. However, to have the full experience you need to take a hike down into the canyon. For a short hike, try the three mile hike along the Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge or for more avid hikers the six mile hike to Skeleton Point makes for a great adventure.

Other fun activities for the outdoors enthusiasts include white water rafting, camping, fishing, horseback riding and much more. It is definitely a haven for those who love spending time in nature.

Must-Avoid

Television shows and movies have glorified riding mules into the Grand Canyon, when the truth is you do not want ride a mule into the canyon. The adventure companies that offer mule rides take the fun out of it by placing a multitude of rules and regulations, not to mention the fact that the mules smell terrible. Additionally if you are afraid of heights, riding on a mule down a narrow cliff pathway is not necessarily something you want to do.

There are many things to consider when planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, and by taking these tips into consideration you are on your way to planning a great vacation.

grand canyon rafting

Grand Canyon rafting

Rent Gear For Your Next Camping Trip

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camping
When you do a lot of camping, then it makes sense to buy all of your own camping essentials since it saves you money in the long run. However, there are times when it makes sense to rent the camping equipment instead of buying and taking your own with you.

Obviously, the best reason for renting the gear is if you do not do a lot of camping. Renting makes it easy to get all the things that you need, while knowing that you are getting good, quality equipment that will make the trip a success.

The reason that regular campers might want to consider renting is that it offers a great way to test out some gear that you might be interested in purchasing for yourself. Some rental places even give you a discount if you want to turn something you rented into something that you own.

Where To Rent Camping Gear?

Probably the easiest place for most people to get their rental equipment is the local REI store, or any other outdoor outfitter shops in your area. This is my preferred way to renting because you can see and inspect everything in-person, as well as ask any questions that you might have about the gear. EMS stores, as well as local independent outfitter shops, are more great places to shop for rentals in-person.

If you do not really care if you can inspect all the items first, then ordering everything that you want to rent online is another way to get your gear rented for your trip. There are several different online companies that offer this service, which each operating a bit differently. Some only allow you to order the items that you need on a piece-by-piece basis, where others lets you book an entire equipment package that gives you pretty much everything that you need. I find that the package places tend to have better overall prices since you get so much for the money with them. Of course, if you already have some items that you’ll be taking, then one of the à la carte rental options might make more sense – especially if you are just testing out something before you buy it.

Some of the places I’ve found that offer online camping equipment rentals include:

One thing that you’ll want to pay attention to if you’re renting from one of these online companies is how you return the gear to them. Some of them include the return postage cost in the rental fee while others require that you pay the postage cost out of pocket. The reason that this is important is because this stuff can be heavy if you’re renting a lot of items at once. So be sure to factor that potentially high cost into your overall budget when preparing for your trip.

Duck Hunting Tips For Beginners

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duck hunting

Image by Tina Shaw, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Whether you have been hunting for your entire life or this is your first time out, duck hunting is incredibly exciting and a bit different than deer hunting.

With a deer, you are most likely going to hunt with a rifle and scope. However, the 12 gauge is your weapon of choice with duck hunting. Plus, the ducks are smaller targets and have the advantage of flight. Due to this, there are a few basic tips you need to follow in order to set yourself up for success.

Use Decoys

Decoys are fake ducks that you set up in order to draw the attention of other ducks. Of course, it helps when you know the species of ducks you are going to be hunting. However, if you are not really sure, always go with a mallard. The mallard can fit in just about anywhere and a few decoys are not all that expensive. Before you go buying duck hunting equipment though, always try to learn as much as you possibly can about the animals you intend to hunt and the species that are prevalent in the area. This helps you determine the right kind of equipment for your hunting needs.

Selecting Guns

When it comes to selecting the gun, you always want a 12 gauge shotgun. Of course, there are different 12 gauge options out there. A semi-automatic allows you fire off more rounds, but a pump-action shout gun gives you a more true aim and is not going to misfire on you. You can go old fashion and opt into a double barreled shotgun, but you might want to hold back if you are less experienced as you only have two shots. Just know that you can only have a maximum of three shells in your gun though, as anything more and it is actually illegal for hunting. You also need to know that any sort of lead shot is illegal due to lead poisoning. If you have a favorite kind of shell though, outside of this sort of toxic shell, you are more than welcome to use it.

Switch up the Camouflage

You need to wear a slightly different kind of camo when hunting ducks, depending on where you are at. If you are in a marsh, go for a brown grass pattern. If you are in the woods, opt for a bark and leaf variation. You also need to consider covering your face in camo paint as well, as ducks have better eye sight than deer and they are going to notice the sun glare off of your face easily.

Duck Calls

One of the biggest problems with this is new hunters overuse a duck call. With proper scouting, you never actually need a duck call. Of course, if you want to practice, the best way to do this is to go to a local pond and listen to the ducks to hear their tempo and pitch. This should help you learn a proper duck call.

Understand Skybusting

Skybusting is when you fire into the air at a duck that is flying away. However, anything really more than 35 years should not be fired at. If you do, you are either going to miss completely or cripple it. It also can frighten the ducks away from other hunters.

For more assistance, take a look at our essential duck hunting gear checklist to get yourself fully outfitted before heading out.

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