Dukats Journal of Hunting

Times have changed and now there are numerous African hunting videos on the market.  So many, in fact, that it’s tough to decide what to spend your money on.  I’ll try to make that decision a little easier for you.  I haven’t seen them all, but I’ve seen enough to have a pretty good idea of what the best are and these are my top picks.

Hunting in New Zealand had long been a dream of mine.  The majestic red stags with their massive crowned antlers and the beautiful full maned tahr are trophies like few others.  My brother-in-law, Fred, had booked the trip with Craigieburn Alpine Safaris www.craigieburn.com in January for a hunt in July of the same year. 

Johnny Westenra, the outfitter and owner of Craigieburn, operates the 42,000 acre ranch in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand.  He conducts free range hunting for a wide range of species on his ranch and has additional areas for chamois and tahr.

Spot Hogg is an archery specialty company known best for their arrow releases and sights.· When I finally got tired of my old square PSE sight, I decided to research finding a great new sight.· Sights have come a long way in the last ten years and you will be amazed at how much a new sight can improve your shooting.

First let's discuss some of the changes and why they help you shoot more accurately.

By Norm DeCastro 

December through February in Casper, Wyoming are typically cold, wind blown months punctuated by intermittent periods of relative calm. New Year’s Day was just such a day. I woke up to a bright, sunny, calm day. My friend Darrel Siemy, my two sons, and I were scheduled, wind permitting to try some coyote calling. Darrel arrived at about 9 AM and we were on our way at 9:30, headed to the Shirley Mountains South of Casper. 

By Manny Bercovich 

After 19 years of applying, my dream of sheep hunting finally came true.  I drew one of the coveted Arizona Desert Bighorn tags.  This was the toughest but most rewarding hunt I've ever been on. I was very lucky to have my friends help me out.It was a busy summer with scouting trips whenever I could get out (nearly every weekend). 

Opening morning was a bust with all of the rain.  My boat broke down before the hunt so I rented a pontoon boat that we named the "Sheep Wreck".  It proved to be the best way to access the sheep  in this unit.

By Norm DeCastro 

With our elk and antelope tags filled it was time to concentrate on deer. My oldest son Kip had killed a couple of does and a small buck, but wanted something better this year. I had planned to hunt some country that can hold some really nice muley bucks, but unfortunately Kip injured his ankle in PE the day we were leaving so that limited our options.

By Chris Watkins

Finally around 10 p.m., as I slid down a steep bank and found myself holding onto a folded Aspen above my head with my headlamp peering off into nothingness, I suggested we climb up to the first spot where we could lay down and try to tough it out through the night.

This is the story of a goat hunting adventure in the Colorado high country.  There were four of us, Dan, Scott, Matt and I and 2 horses. Dan had drawn the goat tag and the rest of us tagged along for the adventure.  Matt came along as the cowboy and his horses were awesome.  No rodeos, no injuries, and no days spent looking for them.