The Best of The Total Outdoorsman: 501 Essential Tips and Tricks

Description

"Be a total outdoorsman. T. Edward Nickens and the experts at Field & Stream share their collective wisdom to demystify the natural world around us, revealing the essential outdoor skills handed down from generation to generation. The Best of the Total Outdoorsman provides tried-and-true techniques and tactics that will inspire new adventures and expand the proficiency of the most grizzled experts."--Page [4] of cover. Cover Contents CAMPING 1 Sleep Under the Stars 2 Pitch Camp Like a Wolf 3 Make Guylines Shine 4 Strengthen a Tent with Picket Stakes 5 Use Garbage Bags as Sand Spikes 6 Fix a Tired Tent Pole 7 Sleep Like a Log in Sweltering Summer Heat 8 Tab a Tent 9 Hang Gear Inside a Wall Tent 10 Sleep Tight with a Pool Noodle 11 Roll Out the Home Turf 12 Make Rainy Days Fly 13 Build a Fire for Maximum Cooking Coals 14 Butcher a Wet Log 15 Recover a Stuck Vehicle 16 Dig a Dakota Fire Hole 17 Burn Your Gear Into a Hot Inferno 18 Hang a Pot Over a Fire Three Ways 19 Make a Summer Fire 20 Open a Brew with a Blade 21 Build Four Cooking Fires 22 Whittle a Whistle Out of a Stick 23 Create Shelter with a Tarp 24 Pack a Complete Camp Kitchen 25 Divvy Up KP 26 Accessorize Dutch Oven Cooking 27 Spice Up a Camp Kitchen 28 Clean Pots with a Six-Pack Ring 29 Dice It Up 30 Sharpen a Hatchet or Axe in the Field 31 Pee in a Tent 32 Hang Food from a Tree 33 Cook Fish Like an Iron . . . er, Tinfoil Chef 34 Roast the Perfect Marshmallow 35 Perfect the Drugstore Wrap 36 Turn a Canoe Into a Campsite (Almost) 37 Make a Camp Coffee Cup 38 Put Up a Camp Gun Rack 39 Make a Dutch Oven Chicken Quesadilla Pie 40 Lighten Your Pack 41 Cut the Cheese 42 Tie a Canoe to Your Racks 43 Cut Parachute Cord with Friction 44 Tie a Butterfly Loop 45 Pack Lunch in a Water Bottle 46 Dig a Bean Hole 47 Dig a Booty Hole 48 Wield a Field Wrench 49 Tie a Knute Hitch 50 Pack for Camping in 5 Minutes 51 Keep Your Cooler Cold Twice as Long 52 Fix Any Tear, Rip, or Fray 53 Make a Two-Step Backpacker’s Meal 54 Portage Canoe and Gear 55 Carry a Backpacking Boat Anchor 56 Dry Boots with a Hot Rock 57 Keep Gear Dry 58 Draw a Pocketknife Like a Gunslinger 59 Switch Up a Pocket Clip 60 Remember Four Knife Nevers 61 Choose a Kid’s First Knife 62 Choose the Right Knife 63 Know Your Axes & Hatchets 64 Name Those Parts 65 Choose Your Weapon 66 Buck a Log with an Axe 67 Split Camp Wood with a Tire 68 Haul Firewood with a Web Strap 69 Roll a Paper Log 70 Sharpen a Machete 71 Finish a Blade with a Leather Strop 72 Sharpen an Axe 73 Give Your Knife a Spa Treatment 74 Sharpen Using a Sharpie 75 Test Gear in the Store 76 Split Logs the Smart Way 77 Throw a Knife 78 Siphon Gas the Safe Way 79 Twist Up a Constrictor Knot 80 Clear a Downed Tree with a Chain Saw 81 Make Waterproof Matches 82 Break Wind Like a Commando 83 Re-Waterproof Your Rain Shell 84 Try Before You Buy 85 Pack a Poop Tube FISHING 86 Have a Midday Quickie 87 Master the Palomar Knot 88 Be a 21st-Century Angler 89 Catch Killer Browns 90 Win the Toughest Fish Fight 91 Tie a Clove Hitch 92 Lay Your Hands on a River Monster 93 Fly Cast from a Kayak 94 Plant a Crappie Tree 95 Know Your Canoe 96 Pull Off a Cheap Canoe-Camp Trip 97 Fish from a Canoe 98 Tie This Fly if it’s the Last Thing You Do 99 Paddle a Canoe into a Gale 100 Set Any Anchor, Anytime 101 Dress a Fly Correctly 102 Stroke Like a Pro 103 Use the Miracle of Minicell Foam 104 Weave a Canoe Seat with Duct Tape 105 Rock a Bent-Shaft Paddle 106 Tote Your Own Boat (Like You Have a Titanium Spine) 107 Shoot a Fly 108 Bump Baits Off an Underwater Cliff 109 Miss a Raft-Eating Boulder 110 Cast Without Drag 111 Throw a Cast Net 112 Scale Fish with Bottle Caps 113 Tune Lures 114 Tie a Blood Knot 115 Catch a Cat with Pantyhose 116 Stick It to Short-Striking Fish 117 Avoid Sinking Your Boat in Heavy Water 118 Choose a Reel 119 Make a Custom Fly Rod 120 Master the Bimini Twist 121 Rig a Killer Cane Pole 122 Organize Hooks with Safety Pins 123 Patch Grip Potholes 124 Rubberize Your Reel Handle 125 Replace Drag Washers 126 Rope-Tape Your Grip 127 Change Bearings 128 Store Fishing Line 129 Rig an On-The-Stream Fish Stringer 130 Feather a Spinning Reel 50 Feet 131 Convert to Manual Shift 132 Mark Fly Lines 133 Float a Line with an Earplug 134 Dampen Line Twist 135 Fish a Greased Leader 136 See Red (or Not) 137 Protect Hair-Thin Trout Tippets 138 Set a Spool Brake 139 Strip Into a Hamper 140 Improve Fly Line Memory 141 Carry a Tackle Box Around Your Neck 142 Fine-Tune a Wacky Worm for Pennies 143 Fish Unfishable Weeds 144 Cross an Eddy Line for Stacked-Up Fish 145 Choose the Right Bass Lure 146 Supercharge a Lure with a Nail 147 Hack Your Plastics 148 Make a Wooden Dowel Popper 149 Avoid Treble 150 Pack a Bag for a Smallie Assault 151 Make Your Own In-Line Spinners 152 Widen Your Gathering Guide 153 Master the World’s Fair Knot 154 Build a Predator Rig 155 Remove Hooks with a Popsicle Stick 156 Pimp a Ride for Your Fly 157 Fool the Wariest Trout in the River 158 Harvest Nature’s Bait Shop 159 Rig a Pork Rind 160 Bail a Boat with a Jug 161 Master The Arbor Knot 162 Fish a Cricket Anywhere, Any Time 163 Upgrade Your Live Baits 164 Use Salt to Keep Eggs On a Hook 165 Fly-Cast to a Moving Target 166 Get a Fly to the Bottom of Things 167 Do the Chuck ’N’ Duck 168 Make a Spin-Fly Mash-Up Outfit 169 Read a Trout’s Table Manners 170 Make a Quick-Sinking Fly Line 171 Cripple a Fly for an Irresistible Treat 172 Pull Off the Invisible Cast 173 Stick a Fish with a Fly from a Mile Away 174 Master the Tube Jig 175 Cast Like a Church Steeple 176 Kill a Fish Humanely 177 Winterize an Outboard Engine 178 Supercharge Salmon Egg Beads 179 Turn a Kid On to Flyfishing 180 Trailer a Boat in a Heavy Wind 181 Track Grasslines with Sonar 182 Fish Like a Biologist 183 Mimic the Tastiest Crustacean 184 Read Trout Like an Underwater Book 185 Fish a Bream Bed 186 Store Bulk Fishing Line 187 Patch a Kayak with Duct Tape 188 Fry Fish Stream-Side 189 Fish Like a Japanese Stream Warrior 190 Catch a Dinosaur with a Rope 191 Shoot Docks for Crappie 192 Give Redbreast Sunnies the Slip 193 Surf Cast a Country Mile 194 Tow a Canoe with a Boat 195 Catch Every Fish that Bites 196 Survive the Frog Chomp 197 Tie the Nickens Know-Nothing 198 Dye Bucktail Lures & Flies 199 Dry Wet Waders 200 Patch Waders on the Stream 201 Fish a Bush Hook 202 Hold On Tightly 203 Take a Jaw-Dropping Fish Photo 204 Choose the Right Blade 205 Back a Trailer Without Looking Like an Idiot 206 Stick a Short-Striking Salmon 207 Tie a Rapala Knot 208 Skin a Cat in a Jiffy 209 Drag Fish Out of a Cave 210 Skate a Fly with a Riffle Hitch 211 Unhook Yourself 212 Fly Cast Upside-Down 213 Detect Light Bites 214 Cast into a Tornado 215 Flip a Lure the Florida Way 216 Fish with a Shiner 217 Try a Beer-Poached Fish 218 Prank Social Media Pals 219 Master the Orvis Knot 220 School a Kid On Fly Fishing 221 Trick Lunkers with a Lantern 222 Fillet the Boniest Fish that Swims 223 Take the Fight to the Fish in Small Water 224 Fly Cast in Circles 225 Catch Bait with a Sabiki Rig HUNTING 226 Earn the Rifleman’s Merit Badge 227 Brighten Your Rifle Sight 228 Shoot with Two Eyes 229 Save Your Eardrums for a Quarter 230 Build a Gunsmith Box 231 Make a DIY Target Stand 232 Make a Trail Tape Dispenser 233 Stop Gun-Sling Slip 234 Camo Paint a Gun Stock 235 Clean a Trigger with a Toothbrush 236 Hold Binoculars Rock Steady Three Ways 237 Fix Stock Dings with an Iron 238 Pick the Right Rifle Caliber 239 Decoy a Pronghorn Antelope 240 Pack String Wax Every Hunt 241 Customize Your Bow Sight 242 Read a Bloody Arrow 243 Master the Ground-Blind Shot 244 Use Superglue 245 Use Confidence Decoys to Arrow a Deer 246 Shoot Tighter Groups At Every Distance 247 Glass the Grid 248 Homebrew Deer Scents 249 Stick a Call to Your Coat 250 Make a Drag Rag 251 Know What Your Bullet is Doing 252 Plant a Micro Food Plot 253 Make a Buck Bed with a Chain Saw 254 Steer Deer with Buckets 255 Make Your Own Scent Dripper 256 Prune an Apple Tree for Deer 257 Sound Like a Deer 258 Make Rattling Antlers 259 Get Into a Buck Fight with Rattling Antlers 260 Shoot with a “Ching Sling” 261 Sit Like a King on a Styrofoam Throne 262 Hang Nasty Wet Boots from the Rafters 263 Kill a Wild Pig with a Knife 264 Dissect the Wind 265 Walk Like a Deer 266 Let a Young Duck Hunter Call Ducks 267 Raise a Ladder Stand Safely 268 Make the Best Jerk Cord in the World 269 Identify a Button Buck and Hold Your Fire 270 Drop the Follow-Up Duck 271 Hunt a Crosswind 272 Set Up for a Dove Shot 273 Use a Lineman’s Belt 274 Make Your Own Scent-Killer 275 Mount a Meat Grinder for Easier Grinding 276 Protect Your Turkey-Call Striker 277 Silence Your Tree Climber 278 Choose Your Weapon for Squirrels 279 Make Buttons and Zipper Pulls from a Deer Rack 280 Make Your Own Scent Wipes 281 Entice a Shy Bull 282 Pull Off a Bunny Hunt on Your Buck Lease 283 Make an Elk-Stopping Bugle Scream 284 Tie a Getaway Knot 285 Master the Rut 286 Track an Elk 287 Use a POV Camera 288 Use GPS to Record Game Trails 289 Control a Spinning Turkey 290 Know Trail Cam Lingo 291 Fine-Tune Trail Cams 292 Target Shop At Walmart 293 Turn a Pistol Into a Shotgun 294 Channel the Song Dog 295 Train for a Deep Woods Deer Drag 296 Couch Drill for the Shot of Your Life 297 Cook a Deer on a Rock 298 Map Your Spot 299 Roast a Deer Haunch 300 Clean Your Knife 301 Take a Killer Trophy Shot 302 Age Deer in a Big Cooler 303 Be the Camp Biologist 304 Take the Tenderloins 305 Share the Birds 306 Stop a Running Buck 307 Wet-Age a Deer 308 See in the Dark 309 Tan a Deer Hide 310 Help a Kid Gut a First Deer 311 Stick It to Downed Game 312 Hoist a Deer 313 Take a Killer Selfie 314 Identify Tracks by Gait 315 Hoist Any Load with a Backcountry Block and Tackle 316 Shoot Your Own Bird 317 Sneak a Ridge Ready to Shoot 318 Skin a Deer with a Golf Ball 319 Freeze Any Game for Cheap 320 Really, Really Tick Off Your Hunting Partner 321 Make Your Own Deer Drag 322 Spook the Bull You’re Hunting 323 Green-Score a Whitetail Rack 324 Work a Beaver Pond Over for Ducks 325 Maintain a Mount 326 Make Jerky with a Pencil 327 Pack a Field-Dressing Kit 328 Mount a Rack on a Rock 329 Track a Blood Trail 330 Light Up a Hunt 331 Rig a Deer Drag 332 Remove a Backstrap with Precision 333 Rig a Prusik-Knot Safety Rope 334 Adjust a Saddle for an All-Day Hunt 335 Haul Your Deer Any Distance 336 Face a Duck Blind in the Right Direction 337 Teach a Bird Dog to Point 338 Sound Like a Duck 339 Decipher Flight Patterns 340 Decode a Duck Quack 341 Know When You’ve Screwed a Scope Hard Enough 342 Know Your Flyway 343 Make a Teal Pot 344 Flag a Duck 345 Cook a Duck with a Stick 346 Make a Duck Hunter’s Floating Table 347 Set Monster Gang Lines for Big Water Divers 348 Know Your Nuts 349 Spatchcock Your Bird 350 Glass with a Plan 351 Fool Wood Ducks with a Spinning Dove Decoy 352 Make the Awesomest Duck Whistle On the Planet 353 Translate a Quack 354 Snag Decoys in Deep Water 355 Disappear from Ducks 356 Fillet a Deer Quarter 357 Walk Like a Shadow 358 Tune-Up Your Turkey Skills 359 Store a Duck in Pantyhose 360 Tune Shotgun Swing with a Flashlight 361 Turn Away Ticks 362 Disappear with Zip Ties and Clothespins 363 Make a European Mount Duck Skull 364 Tune a Duck Call 365 Brush Up a Duck Canoe 366 Cold-Proof Your Shotgun 367 Put More Spring in Your Semiauto Shotgun 368 Make Exploding Flash Targets for an Olympic-Style Shoot 369 Shoot the Tricky Out-Of-Nowhere Stealth Bird 370 Sight in a Scope on a Bolt Action Rifle 371 Customize Binoculars 372 Pack a Woodstove for a Slow, Long Burn 373 Hear What Your Rifle is Telling You 374 Make a Buck Scrape 375 Clean a Plucked Duck in 60 Seconds 376 Make Your Own Wind Checker 377 Fool Five Thousand Geese 378 Drop a Single Bird out of a Flock 379 Claim the Best Bunk 380 Sound Like a Turkey 381 Make the Perfect Yelp 382 Call a Turkey with a Peacock 383 Tune Up a Box Call 384 Blow a Wingbone Yelper 385 Use an Old Tire to Teach a New Dog Tricks 386 Train a Dog to Scent Trail 387 Make a Canine First Aid Kit 388 Teach a Dog to Dive for Ducks 389 Hunt Squirrels Like a Grown-Up 390 Stump Slump for Gobblers 391 Drill for the Scampering Squirrel 392 Call Squirrels with Stuff in Your Junk Drawer 393 Be the Tripod 394 Jerry-Rig a Muzzleloader Shooting Rail 395 Bleach a Deer Skull 396 Clean a Squirrel 397 Make a Frog Gig 398 Prepare Your Frogs 399 Mark Your Pot Call 400 Make Your Own Layout Blind 401 Turn a Utility Table into a Butcher Shop 402 Know When to Switch Your Decoy Setup 403 Shoot Downhill and Uphill 404 Build a Roofed Meat Pole 405 Blaze Secret Trails to Your Stand 406 Remember Four Knife “Nevers” 407 Assemble a Rifle Repair Kit 408 Judge a Trophy Buck by its Ears 409 Hold a Shotgun Tenderly 410 Double Your Range with a Bipod 411 Use Binoculars as a Spotting Scope 412 Make a PVC Rifle Rest 413 Hunt On Snowshoes 414 Keep Hunting Clothes Clean in Camp 415 Re-Proof Waxed Cotton 416 Silence Your Zipper 417 Keep Calls Clean SURVIVAL 418 Pack a 1-Day Survival Kit 419 Pack a 3-Day Survival Kit 420 Pack a 1-Week, Multiperson Survival Kit 421 Beat the Bugs 422 Beat Blisters with Duct Tape 423 Tie a Hunter’s Bend 424 Upgrade Your Survival Kit 425 Make a Swiss Seat 426 Rig the Z-Drag 427 Make Waterproof Matches 428 Descend a Cliff with a Single Rope 429 Break Bigger Branches 430 Spark Fire with a Knife 431 Stay Alive with Toilet Paper 432 Make a Survival Faucet 433 Shave the Day 434 Reuse a Shotshell 435 Scrounge Up Survival Wire 436 Open a Can Without a Can Opener 437 Cook Fish On a Log 438 Make a Duct Tape Bowl 439 Bandage with Duct Tape 440 Build a Fire in the Rain 441 Aim a Makeshift Signal Mirror 442 Spear Fish in a Funnel Trap 443 Make a Tinder Bundle 444 Remove a Fish Hook 445 Catch Fish with a Trigger Snare 446 Construct a Fish Weir 447 Stop Bleeding 448 Read a Bear’s Mind 449 Boil Water for Safe Drinking 450 Carry 50 Feet of Rope On Your Feet 451 Hurl a Back-Country Deathstar 452 Make a Trap or Die Trying 453 Choke Down Bugs 454 Rate an Insect Sting 455 Prepare for Anaphylaxis 456 Call for Rescue with a Nut 457 Survive in Fast Water 458 Survive a Lightning Strike 459 Cut Saplings for Shelter 460 Drink Snow 461 Start a Fire with Binoculars 462 Survive On Acorns 463 Survive a Fall Overboard 464 Stay On Top of Thin Ice 465 Navigate by the Night Sky 466 Survive a Fall Through the Ice 467 Make Emergency Mukluks 468 Call for Help in Any Language 469 Survive the Roughest Night with a Knife 470 Test a Knife with a Newspaper 471 Escape from Wildfire 472 Make a Wicked Slingshot 473 Maintain a Knife Clip 474 Start a Fire with a Flare 475 Pitch a Survival Camp 476 Start a Fire 477 Carve a Fuzz Stick for a Fast Firestarter 478 Make Fire Wick At Home 479 Improvise Snowshoes 480 Stay Found for Less Than 10 Bucks 481 Make a Blowgun 482 Use Superglue to Close a Wound 483 Reset a Dislocated Shoulder 484 Make a Fire Bed 485 Make a Fire Plough 486 Skin and Cook a Snake 487 Navigate by Deliberate Offset 488 Build a Fire On Snow 489 Avoid a Bear Attack 490 Build a One-Match Fire When Your Life Depends On It 491 Split a Log with a Knife 492 Fling a Bola 493 Eat Roadkill 494 Track Back with a GPS Unit 495 Make a Bow Drill 496 Be a Backcountry Dentist 497 Survive a Frigid Dunking 498 Evaluate a Bubbly Compass 499 Treat a Snake Bite 500 Save Your Backtrail On a GPS 501 Create a Whirling Propeller of Signal Light INDEX A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W