At first I met a slingshot craftsman who was also a regional competitor. I inquired about the possibility of just pinching together a rubberband/leather pouch set between my thumb and forefinger. He said that it could be done but you would need to rotate your hand downward at launch as you released your projectile. I bought the set from him and then decided on what ammunition to use.

 
 
 
 
Steel bearings (or shot) was expensive as were clay pellets, so I went to Walmart and found “Cherry Sours” candy that was cheap, biodegradable, environmentally safe, and coincidentally just the right size.
 
 
 

 
 
 
I was careful at first, trying to apply the rotation technique and actually hit a 3 inch can lid on my DIY Simple Spinner Targets from 7 meters away, but shortly afterwards I got careless and smacked my thumb multiple times really hard, with the result of creating a blood blister under my thumbnail. If you choose to try this method I would recommend wearing a leather glove on your hand at first.

 
 
 
Deterred by the difficulty and pain, I considered trying an alternative safer method of tying the ends of the rubber bands into loops that I could slip over my thumb and forefinger to use as a frame. Voila! It was smooth shooting and I hit my target a number of times… it’s quite intuitive for aiming. However, unless you have very strong fingers your draw back will be somewhat limited, but, it would have knock down potential for small game.

For purists… using your fingers to hold the bands would in essence be a frame, but you wouldn’t need a mechanical frame that would have to be constructed, and be potentially awkward to carry. Eliminating a frame would make for ultra light weight and convenient when backpacking or for easy storage.

Awhile back I decided to make a spinner target so that it would signal a hit without having to replace a toppled can or a perforated paper target. I could open my backdoor to shoot from either inside the threshold or step out onto my porch while observing safety precautions from either position to confirm a clear down range. Although commercial spinner targets are very robust and durable when used with conventional gun ammunition, they are not needed for most BBs, small rocks, or acorns.

The materials needed to make a DIY simple spinner target are made with household items such as a metal coat hanger, tin can lids, and one and a quarter inch binder clips. The only tool needed would be a pair of pliers for bending the coat hanger.

I wanted to use different sized can lids for targets that ranged from three and a quarter inches to two inches in diameter and hung them in descending order by size. You can vary the lid size, quantity, and distance to your own liking. I bent the wire to include small “bumps” to act as barriers between each can lid with a slight sag between them that enables the cans to recenter after being hit. Then I opened a binder clip over the wire and clamped it onto the top edge of the can lid.

I found that sometimes a can lid may be sprung out when hit but that is the advantage of having multiple lids hanging on the coat hanger wire so you can continue practicing. Because the stones or acorns used with a slingshot have more mass, the can lids are more prone to be sprung loose.

I have had a lot of fun using the DIY simple spinner target and it has enabled me to sharpen my shooting skills. I recommend making one for your own benefit and enjoyment that will help you be better prepared.

In my youth my grandfather made for me a simple slingshot using a “Y” shaped cutting from a tree branch along with thick rubber band straps with a leather pouch. I had a lot of fun using it but never achieved critical skill for hunting.

Awhile back I found a shed antler and kept it for any future projects and it dawned on me that it could be made into a slingshot. I began by taping off the places where it needed to be cut and proceeded to use a hacksaw for that task. I also had some spare leather pieces that I used to make the pouch. What remained was the need for the straps.

In days gone by large wide rubber bands were easy to come by but these days the only ones that I could find were half the lengths that I remember. In order to get the length needed I had to “daisy chain” or loop the two rubber bands together, then using the same technique of looping I attached the ends to the pouch and antler frame.

I was eager to try it out. Without the wrist support of the modern slingshot I had to readjust my grip on the unsupported handle. My initial shots proved to be better than when I used my modern slingshot! By my third shot I was able to hit a two and a half inch can lid at seven yards! I think that a contributing factor is that I lean the frame forward as I shoot and it seems to make a notable difference. For now, this antler frame is my go-to slingshot and I am delighted at the results.

For shooting tips and inspiration you can watch “Carolina Camera: The Sling Shot Man” to witness some remarkable marksmanship.

In my neck-of-the-woods one of the popular fashions is camouflage clothes because they are used so often by the hunting community here. And who doesn’t like blending with nature?! There is such a variety of clothing that feature different seasons. However, if there was any potential of becoming lost or injured and immovable, it would be more difficult to be spotted by rescuers. An exception might be if the hunter was wearing blaze-orange gear that increases their visibility to other hunters and could help rescuers as well.

When I go kayaking or canoeing I wear bright clothes so that in an emergency I can be spotted more easily by rescuers. In the worse case scenario, if I were to drown my body could be more easily spotted for recovery. For similar reasons outdoor tools are often marked or manufactured with bright colors so that they are easily seen when placed or dropped onto the ground (see Lost Or Found).

So, your clothing can serve a number of functions, whether for insulation, comfort, or style, but it can also be used for a measure of visual safety as well.

I was sent a PDF copy to review before it was published. For me, reading is a laborious task and I’ve always been a visually oriented person, having a career as a corporate photopgrapher, videographer, and web master, but once I started to read this book I was captivated from the start. The author, Ronald B. Housel, has an easy-to-read writing style that got me hooked from the start and his passion for his craft held my interest throughout it’s 14 chapters.

And what a diversity of topics! It is a very complete work from a very experienced hunter that not only inspires want-to-be turkey hunters to pursue this field but also has many helpful insights for those seasoned hunters that want to continue honing their skills. The recipes are mouth-watering and the candid stories at the end had me rolling with laughter. I would recommend this book to any hunter who is contemplating or actively engaged in the pursuit of the elusive wild turkey.

You can learn more about The Black Ghosts of Autumn and the author Ronald B. Housel on Facebook.

Recently at one of my demos a gentleman introduced yet another call from a most unexpected source: a coffee stir straw. These straws are very thin, measuring approximately 1/16 inch in diameter and about 7 inches in length. Without any modifications you can place the end of the straw to your tightly closed lips and begin to suck at the tip, similar to the squeaking sounds that you might make to call squirrels or small game. I do give it a small pinch at the tip before I make a call. With a little practice you can make some remarkable sounds with surprising volume. If you like, you can also cut the straw shorter to make a higher pitch sound.

So if you find yourself without a commercial turkey call and need one, stop by a fast-food stand and grab a coffee stir straw and give it a try. Alternatively the straws included with children’s juice boxes work well too. Check out the video to see the technique and hear the sound.

Primitive crafts traditionally use primitive tools, materials and methods, but if you understand the construction process, you can speed up the process with modern day counter counterparts. This is the path that I chose while constructing the wing bone turkey call that is illustrated in the photo.

I used the cooked bones from my Thanksgiving Dinner turkey. After cleaning off the meat, I used a band-saw to cut the knobby ends off. I suppose that a hacksaw or multi-tool saw would work too. Next I cleaned out the bone marrow using a break-off blade utility knife and a “Hercules hook” that is used for hanging objects on drywall material. The hook has a sharpened point on a log shaft that works well in the narrow bone.

The three bones of graduated diameters will nest in consecutive fashion and may need to be trimmed to accommodate bone circumference irregularities. I chose epoxy putty to seal and glue each joint. A primitive approach would be “abo epoxy” made of pine pitch mixed with carbon ashes.

To operate the turkey call place your puckered lips on the tip of the small diameter bone and make a sucking squeak sound similar to the sound that you may make to call a squirrel or small pet. The graduated bone segments act like a megaphone and amplifies the sound so that it is remarkably loud.

If you would like to pursue making one of your own calls, Click HERE to view detailed instructions that are excellently written and illustrated by Bernard Dunn.

This trap is traditionally made with bamboo but can easily be made out of alternate materials such as saplings and tin cans. The trap consists of a hollow bamboo tube, a springy branch with cord and toggle, a small cord anchor loop, a large cord snare loop, and a tethered trigger stick. When the toggle is threaded through the snare loop, and is held down by the anchor loop and trigger stick, the snare loop is positioned inside the bamboo tube by the opening. When the rodent sticks it’s head into the tube and sets off the trigger stick, the snare loop tightens around the neck of the rodent and pins it against the roof of the tube.

As usual, several traps are set out to increase the chances of success. The branch extends through the tube and is driven into the ground to keep it in place, thus preventing it from being dragged away from a struggling animal. In the end, a rodent is probably the easiest catch and is the most plentiful. For non-emergency use, it can rid your premises from unwanted pests.