The Field & Stream Tips Blog

Turn Shotgun Shells into a Matchstick Holder

I made a waterproof matchstick case from two used shotgun shells. I used a 12- and 16-gauge shell, but all that matters is that one shell is slightly smaller than the other. Simply stick your matches and some striking paper in the smaller of the two shells, then snugly insert it into the larger shell. I’ve been doing this since I was 10 years old, and it’s never let me down.
Wesley Weber, Erie, Penn.

Keep Your Butt Plate from Sliding

On rifles or shotguns that have a hard butt plate, I like to attach a stripe of Velcro (the sticky side, not the hook strip) to the butt plate. Doing this prevents the plate from slipping down my shoulder when I mount the gun, and it gives me better control. Apply the strip between the two screws on the butt plate, so you can still remove the plate without disturbing the Velcro.
George Murphy, Jacksonville, Ill.

Sharpen a Knife without Scratching the Blade

To prevent scratching the finish on the blade when I sharpen a knife, I apply masking tape to both sides of the blade. Once I’m finished sharpening, I just remove the tape and wipe the blade with an old rag. This really helps with knives that have been blued.
John Jones, Lexa, Ark.

Silence Your Tree Blind with Carpet

To keep things quiet in a tree blind or a raised deer blind, cover the floor with a scrap piece of carpet. This way, if you drop some gear on the floor it’s less likely to startle the game underneath you. The carpet also helps keep the cold out when the temperature drops. Most carpet stores have scraps or samples that they’ll either sell for next to nothing or give you for free.
Matthew Iddlebrooks, Universal City, Texas

Uncork a Bottle and Make a Bobber

Wine bottle corks make great slip bobbers. Drill a hole down the center of the cork, then insert a thin coffee stir-straw into the hole and secure it with rubber cement. Fishing line will slide through the straw easily. You can leave the cork plain, but I prefer to paint it for higher visibility.
Greg Inman, Minnetonka, Minn.

Camouflage Your Landing Net

To keep from spooking fish when it’s time to scoop them with the landing net, I spray-painted the flashy hoop of the my net with a color combination of green, blue, and brown. The colors camouflaged the net, and now the fish never see it coming.
Jeff Zachow, Afton, Wis.

Keep Salmon Eggs Fresh

Here’s a simple fishing tip that’s helped me catch more: Store your salmon eggs upside down, so the eggs on top (i.e. the ones you’ll use next) are always fresh and soaked with plenty of fish-alluring goo.
Zeke Pyle, Thompsontown, Penn.

Make a Heater with a Water Bottle

When camping in cold weather, I fill a Nalgene bottle with near-boiling water and place it in the foot of my sleeping bag right before I turn in for the night. The bottle provides a nice source of heat for much of the night—just make sure it doesn’t leak before you try this.
Ben Wagner, Bozeman, Mon.

Track Your Kill with a Compass

Whenever I hunt deer from a tree stand—with either a bow or a rifle—I always keep a compass handy. After marking a kill on a deer, I keep my eyes fixed on the last spot where I saw the deer, then I take the compass bearing in degrees on that location. I climb down and follow the compass bearing to the blood trail. This helps me recover deer in thick cover or as foul weather approaches.
Thomas Paquin, via e-mail