DX Bear recently started an interesting thread on the subject of hints for building some helpful hunting items HERE

I just received a PM wanting info on the shooting sticks I use and thought new hunters might be interested in more suggestions on putting together their first kit for predator hunting.

We all get satisfaction from making a useful item and reading others' ideas on the subject; saving a buck in the process is an added bonus.

What helpful hints can you share with us?

Regards,
hm

Another shooting stick can be made from fiberglass electric fence poles, a length of fuel tubeing about a ft long and 2 vacuum caps that fit the squared off ends of the poles.
Find the middle of the fuel line. Measure out from there about 1.5" in each direction. Make a slit lengthwise on each of those marks in line with each other and big enough to just force the poles through the slits and out the ends of the hose enough to slide the vac caps onto the tops of the poles.
Just cross the poles below the hose and the hose between the slits acts as a cradle for your fore end of your rifle.

I think that making your own gear or modifying it to fit your need is only limited to your imagination and how bad you want to do it yourself. Many years ago I wanted a Natgear camo vest. I couldn't find one anywhere so I bought some Natgear camo cloth and some camo polar fleece for the lining and sewed one. Even wore it till the camo almost faded away. Along with my dad teaching me to hunt, fish, trap, repair cars and build boats my mom taught me to sew, cook, and can. My wife has taught me to knit.

I lived three years in a tent in northern WI and would mend jeans for $2./pr it was my beer money. I didn't have electricity so I converted an old professional sewing machine to treadle to sew with. Ran traplines in the winter and odd jobs in the summer, it was my midlife retirement.

Still in use


Fingerless shooting/hunting mitts on cool days wear them by themselves on cold days I wear them over army glove liners. ust curl your fingers inside the mitt if more warmth is needed uncurl them to shoot, no flaps or gyrations to go thru to be ready to shoot. Different camo patterns.


Backside is ribbed and the palm smooth for less bulk in the grip.


I have experimented with watch caps with face masks that tuck up inside when not n uses but haven't perfected a pattern I like yet.

The things you want to make yourself is only limited by how much you want to do it yourself.

When we first started calling coyotes right at 40 years ago we had many coyotes in open country run right up to my cassette caller and get away. So we started having a shotgun shooter lay down 10 to 20 yards from the cassette caller to shoot the hard charging coyotes.

We found out quickly how uncomfortable not having a support for our heads was when laying down on the ground. I ended up making a camo pillow out of solid packing foam so I could lay on my back and have support for my head.

When I was 30 to 45 years old it was easy for me to sit up and shoot coyotes with my shotgun while using the camo pillow to hold my head up.

When I got older I made a adjustable plywood ramp the pillow ties to it so I didn't have to lay flat on the ground and that made it easier for me to sit up and shoot. When the top of your head is only 1 foot to 18" off the ground coyotes in wide open country will run right up on you.
PICT0011 by [/url], on Flickr
In the above picture you can see my son laying down with the pillow ramp. Quite often we hear the coyotes feet hitting the ground before we see the coyote.

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/156463377@N08/iPXc6189N6]IMG_2400 - Copy (2) by [/url], on Flickr
This is a picture of my son sitting up from the pillow to shoot a coyote that ran right in to about 20 yards.

The foam camo pillow is about 14" long by 8" by 12". By having 8" by 12" it gives two different heights to use. If you are young and can sit up quickly you really don't need the ramp. But if there are some low weeds or bushes it is nice to be able to adjust the height of the pillow up some with the ramp.

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/156463377@N08/31K32A385S]IMG_1312 by [/url], on Flickr
[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/156463377@N08/Ch0Y5zi8a4]IMG_1310 by [/url], on Flickr
[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/156463377@N08/53Dt406W3n]IMG_1315 by [/url], on Flickr

The below picture is a picture of me on the side of a steep hill just using the pillow. Even if the coyotes see you when you are this low to the ground they are no concerned because you are so low to the ground. It is also easier to sit up if you are laying on a hill with your feet lower than your head.
[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/156463377@N08/N9p6269axM]IMG_0715 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/156463377@N08/][/url], on Flickr

That's a great idea. They have no idea there is aman stretched out there.

I have a back board.for.the cockpit of.my boat so I can use it like a layout boat for duck hunting

Very nice idea.

Great ideas, Lance, those fiberglass fence posts are great, I tried them, but they were just a bit short to work w/my short chair, however, very easy to use if you can sit on the ground and really easy to make.

Lots of good tips there,Erich. Didn't you make a watch cap that pulled down over your face, doubling as a face mask for really cold weather, too?

May have to make one of your pillows, Bob. At 87, I need all the help I can get to get up from prone or sitting on the ground. Last time I tried it, thought I might have to call for a winch truck.

Thanks, guys for some great tips....keep 'em coming.

Regards,
hm

I did but I didn't care for the way it turned out. I need to sit down and work on it when it cools and I have more time.

Eye holes didn't turn out like I wanted. I've learned a lot more about casting on and off and increases and decreases since I made this. I like the fact that it tucks up into the hat and the hat looks like a regular watch cap.

Sewn a few 10-AA battery cradle covers for my foxpro's . Sewn them up a dozen years ago, and still using them to this day .
Is simple design but holds together/protects the plastic cradle and pigtail plug, keepds all the AA's from getting knocked out in the packs.

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Very nice job of sewing, that's a great idea to protect them.

Hm. Thanks for the chuckle about the tow truck. Mike

Done a couple of Call carry wraps for some of my closed reed . handy to have, simple easy to make multi-pouch, fold, roll up, tie off .
keeps specific calls together and help keep them from getting beat up or lost .
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That's pretty slick IndexFinger.

Some pretty cool ideas being posted up here. Always amazed at what a talented group we have. I make and modify things all the time. I'll have to look around and get some pictures of some of my stuff.

One of my larger projects was heavy game handling to compensate for a bad back. My first solution was a drawer/ramp combination with the side benefit of easy access to things in the front of the bed without climbing into the bed, which was a real problem due to the tonneau cover on my truck.

First step was to mount a boat trailer winch in front of bed and a low roller at rear end of bed to support the "drawer". Had to fabricate the roller as I couldn't find store bought one low enough to serve my purpose. Harbor freight has since come out with some really neat 1" roller bearings, four or five of which would have served that purpose very nicely.



The drawer was made from 4'x 3/4" plywood to fit between the wheel wells with two (3" IIRC) rubber wheels mounted @ front end to carry the load as it is withdrawn.



Front wheel/fender detail:

Half of 2 regular door hinges are mounted under the rear end of the drawer and the matching halves are mounted on a 3/4" plywood ramp which stores in bottom of drawer when not in use. To use ramp, withdraw drawer even with end of tail gate and attach ramp & insert hinge pins to secure ramp to drawer. .
Ramp deployed:


Hinge and safety latch details. Safety latch prevents drawer from sliding out when longer load prevents closing tail gate. Ask me why this was added as an afterthought.

Loaded many a nilgai cow and lesser critters with this setup; only drawback is that, if you carry a lot of gear, you have to unload most of it to make room for the 400#+ nilgai.

Regards,
hm