Page 74 - North 40 Outfitters

By Gary Lewis In years with big fish runs, meaning when abundance is up, it’s hard to pick a bad day to fish. And then there are seasons like this one, when the summer-run steelhead just trickle in and they’re difficult to find during fall, winter and spring. The word, angler-to-angler, is mostly to stay home, tend to the garden, keep that lawn mowed, cut the firewood. Too few fish to make your efforts really worth it this year. Lest we forget, anglers lie to each other. That’s why I drove to Lewiston, Idaho in early January, joining my friend Kris Bales and Adam Hocking of Steel Dreams Guide Service. We would run the Clearwater or Snake rivers, depending on the weather, trying to disprove those who said our efforts wouldn’t be rewarded. When the temperature dropped and the Grande Ronde River began to spit chunks of ice, Hocking s...

Prime Logic Bow—2018 Archery Trade Association Show Our North 40 archery experts loved getting this bow in their hands at the 2018 ATA Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. Shooting 330 feet per second the new Prime Logic bow takes centergy technology to the next level. This bow’s parallel cam design, smooth draw, and near perfect balance helps hunters and target shooters acquire their target faster and more accurately than they could before. This bow measures 31 inches from axel to axel, which means it’s a great all-around bow that also excels in limited mobility situations. For instance, if you're hunting from a blind, high in a tree stand, in dense mountain timber, or on a sagebrush littered flat, you’ll appreciate the Prime Logic’s short length and light weight—just 4.3 pounds. The new Prime Logic bow can be shot at draw weights...

Bowtech Realm Bow—2018 Archery Trade Association Show This was one of the most impressive bows we shot at the 2018 ATA Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bowtech’s new Realm features the Overdrive Binary Cam System, which allows the bow to be easily tuned. It also has a silky-smooth shot. The Realm features a 30.75-inch axle-to-axle length, a 7.125-inch brace height, an IBO rating of 340 feet per second, and it weighs 4.3 pounds. Due to its size and accuracy, this bow is perfect for any hunter wanting to up their game. One question we asked is, What is difference between the Realm and the Realm X? Simply put, the Realm X features a longer axle-to-axle length, a shorter brace height, and increased speed (345 feet per second). The price of the Bowtech Realm is $1,099. The Realm X retails for $1,199 These bows come laser-tuned from the Bowt...

Rocky Mountain Wapiti Whacker Bugle/Grunt Tube—2018 Archery Trade Association Show Our North 40 archery team is made up of hardcore elk hunters so, naturally, we choose Rocky Mountain Hunting Call’s Wapiti Whacker Grunt Tube as one of the most impressive products we saw at the ATA Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Wapiti Whacker is one of the best elk calls we've heard and we got a personal demonstration at the booth. Built to replicate many elk calls, the Wapiti Whacker is arguably the best bugle tube on the market. Hi, I'm Rocky Jacobson with Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls. We've been in business now for 26 years. I'm the original inventory and designer of the Palate Plate Diaphragm elk calls, which, we have a variety of different calls that we make. We try to fit everybody's different size of mouth, so they go into your mouth pro...

If I could predict the major changes coming to fly-fishing, limited-entry dates on many of our major rivers would rank at or near the top of the list. Just think about it—the world’s population is spinning out of control, and minus a plague, a flu epidemic, or a nuclear event, we’ll continue to see our rivers becoming more crowded than they already are. It’s just part of the deal right now. Although that sounds like a far-off reality, I know guides who are becoming outfitters, simply to get a place in line when their favorite rivers get slapped with limited guide days. Those who can document a history of usage likely would be granted some sort of permit ensuring a set number of days on the water each year. Would it be transferable? Could they sell that permit? Could a state or province actually buy them out of a permit at some dat...

What is a corn cob light? Well, as you can see from the video above, a COB LED is a light shaped surprisingly like an ear of corn. What is it? COB stands for “chip on board” and is simply that: a light emitting diode (LED) embedded into a substrate (board) that has an electric current passed through it so it will light up. That means the acronym COB matches the actual shape of the light itself. The COB LED light we are talking about in this article, and the one you see above, is the GT-Lite High Lumen LED Bulb we stock at North 40 Outfitters. If this is the first time you’ve seen a bulb like this, then you probably have a few questions. Is this light as bright as traditional halogen or CFL lights? Absolutely it is. Does this COB LED use less energy or more energy? Less… up to 80 percent less actually. Does the corn cob light get ...

Hoyt 2018 REDWRX Carbon RX-1 Ultra Bow—2018 Archery Trade Association Show For 2018, Hoyt introduced the REDWRX Carbon RX-1 Ultra Bow. We shot it at the ATA Show in Indianaplis, Indiana a few weeks ago and found it to be a premium bow that is suited for any task, whether that’s in the field or at the target range. The RX-1 Ultra features a 35-inch axle-to-axle length, a six-inch brace height, and it shoots at 330 feet per second. This bow weighs just 4.1 pounds. The RX-1 Ultra is much smoother on the shot when compared to the 2017 Hoyt Carbon Defiant, and the price comes in at around $1,599. This is a premium bow for any shooter or hunter and it offers draw-weights ranging from 30 to 80 pounds. Hey everybody. My name is Evan Williams, and we're here at the Hoyt booth at ATA in Indianapolis, 2018. We're here to introduce the new Hoyt...

Getting into backyard chickens and the homesteading lifestyle is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make. Whether you want to raise chickens for eggs or meat, learning where your food comes from and having a hand in that process is invaluable. But, no matter the size of your operation, jumping into chickens comes with many questions. Foremost is what you should feed your chicks. Layer and meat birds are “started” on a special feed that meets their nutritional requirements. This feed is commonly called “chick starter” or “starter feed.” Here’s all you need to know about “starter” feed. For more answers to your early chicken questions, you can check out this article. How long should chicks stay on starter feed? Matt: So, Howard got us a question on how long to keep chickens on starter feed. So, we're going to go...

Mystery Ranch Pop-Up 28 Pack—2018 Archery Trade Association Show For 2018, Mystery Ranch introduced the Pop-Up 28 series to their line of packs. The Pop-Up 28 features 7075 aluminum rods that can be extended or taken down to transform the pack from a day-pack to a heavy-duty meat hauler. The pack's volume is 28 liters and features Mystery Ranch's Overload Shelf technology. The pack retails for $299 and is a perfect day-pack for the minimalist hunter. Weighing 4.8 pounds, this pack is a workhorse for its compact size and we chose it as one of the most impressive new items we saw at ATA 2018. Hi, I'm Alex from Mystery Ranch, here at ATA 2018. I want to show you the Pop-up 28, pretty cool new product that we're working on. Pretty simple little day pack, but it's got our fully featured harnessing suite, fully adjustable yoke, multi-density...

We selected the Garmin Xero A1i Bo Sight as one of the most impressive products we saw at the ATA Show 2018. This auto ranging digital bow sight pulls the workload of a traditional sight and a digital rangefinder by automatically ranging the distance to a target and providing a lighted pin for the shot. Available in two models ranging from $799.99 to $999.99, the Garmin Xero A1i Bow Sight is highly configurable to allow for different arrow profiles and single or multi-pin configurations. The Xero A1i also features Laser Locate, which tracks the arrow's point of impact and sends that info to a Garmin GPS, which allows the user to find their arrow and begin tracking their game. Note: This sight is not legal in all states so please check your local regulations before purchasing. Hey guys. I'm Josh with Garmin. ATA 2018, we just released ...

Missouri River Recently, I got out on one of those winter days when it was mild, cloudy and calm. I got my trout spey on and I’m still smiling. It’s all about the weather and if the weather allows you to fish efficiently. By efficiently, I mean without your line or your body freezing to the point it won’t function properly. Above that margin, the fishing can be pretty darn good. The Mo has been running around 4,400cfs lately and staying a few tics above 34 degrees below Holter Dam. Fly Tying Season and Events Fly Tiers are always welcome at our fly shop counter. Grab a stool and tie a fly or two. International Fly Fishing Film Festival at the Do Bar in Great Falls on Friday January 26. Missouri River Fly Fishers Banquet tickets on sale now for February 24th.  Click here to see past Great Falls reports, or here to view all northwe...

Coeur d'Alene River The river is flowing at 2,970 cfs and dropping for now. However, it’s raining and the Northwest forecast isn’t looking pretty. In the immediate future we are supposed to get a fair amount of rain and snow up high. I picture the river rising in a big way. If you get a chance to get out, nymphing will be the way to go. Beadhead nymphs and San Juan worms might get looks. Streamers will work as well, but get them down deep and use a slow retrieve—the fish are pretty lethargic and not super willing to chase their meals in the cold water. Good luck and hopefully we will get a break in the rain soon. St. Joe River 1,870 cfs and dropping. Like I mentioned in the Coeur d'Alene report things are going to change big time All of the local rivers will be on the climb in the next 2-4 days with a good size front moving in. Whe...