The Field & Stream Tips Blog

Protect Your Rods With Insulation

When you’re storing your fishing rods for the winter, use foam pipe insulation to keep them protected. Pipe insulation is inexpensive and available in a variety of sizes at your local hardware store. Buy a large enough diameter to accommodate the rod and eyelets. The split in the tube makes easy insertion, and the foam provides great protection.
--Wayne Marrier, Merrill, Wisc.

Keep Your Paperwork Organized Around Your Neck

When hunting, I find myself carrying over a dozen licenses, tags, and stamps. I use a travel neck pouch, like the ones for passports, to store everything. The pockets provide a space for everything, and it stays dry and secure underneath my shirt or sweater.
--Larry Lee, Stafford, Va.

Chew Gum to Cover Your Scent

Some sources claim that the majority of human scent is due to our breath. When deer hunting, chew apple flavored gum to help mask the breakfast burrito you scarfed down on the way to the field. It's a natural scent that can even serve as an attractant.
--Matt Boden, Hickman, Neb.

Jerry's Tips: Hoist Your Deer With a Winch

The winch from a boat trailer makes an easy, one-man deer hoist. Fasten it to a tree trunk or upright post at waist level with a pair of 3-inch lag bolts. Run a strong line or cable from the winch through a pulley on an overhead cross pole and bind the loose end of the line to the gambrel that goes between the hind legs. The gears make it easy to lift the weight, and the stop mechanism will hold the deer in place until it can be hung from the pole. --Jerome B. Robinson

Heat Your Bag With a Water Bottle

To keep snug during nights when the temperature drops, boil water and pour into your Nalgene bottles. Then, place them in your sleeping bag, and the bag’s insulation will keep the heat in. Use two or more bottles to adjust temperature.
--Aaron Guiterman, Arlington Va.

Reader Tip of the Day: Make A Cheaper Fly Box

For an inexpensive, organized flybox, I use a 7-day pill dispenser. I use a marker to identify what is in each compartment. Only one compartment needs to be opened at a time, so you won’t lose your flies on a windy day, and the slim shape lets it fit neatly into a vest or shirt pocket.
--David A. Schaefer, Concord, Mass.

Reader Tip of the Day: Grunt Bucks With a Garden Hose

When your dream buck comes into sight, but is just out of range, grunting can close the distance, but calling from your stand can bring the buck’s eyes right to you, spooking him. Avoid that problem by tying a garden hose to your tree. Instead of grunting into the air, grunt into the hose, which will take your call to the forest floor. Your buck will look down at the ground, instead of at you.
--Norm Confer, Troy, Mich.

Reader Tip of the Day: Keep Your Knife on Your Belt

Run an old shower curtain hook through the belt loop of your knife sheath and through your pants belt loop to prevent your knife from sliding off your unbuckled belt.
--Tom Spears, via E-mail

Reader Tip of the Day: Find Free Feathers For Your Flies

For an unlimited supply of fly tying feathers, contact your local game farm. They usually offer cleaning services for their clients and just throw away the skins of the pheasants and other game birds. Most of them will be more than happy to throw the feathers your way instead of in the garbage.
--Gary Delcourt, via E-mail

Reader Tip of the Day: Sight In Your Gun On Campaign Signs

I like to use old political signs for my portable shooting targets (the metal, H-shaped stands are best because they’re easy to put in the ground, and sturdier than the others). Simply tape your target to the sign and place at whatever distance you like. One or two will last all day. They're free, transportable, and easily disposed of.
-Chris Crowthe, via E-mail