Horn Loss Affects P&Y Eligibility

J.W., San Marcos, Texas: "My question concerns Chuck Adams' Hunting Big Game column in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue. He describes near the end of the column how his desert sheep dropped 170 feet and the right horn popped off the skull. Later he said his sheep squeaked into the P&Y record book. How could this be since it wouldn't be eligible?"

Horned animals -- pronghorns, sheep, and goats -- have an outer sheath that grows over a permanent base attached to the skull. Before taxidermy work, these sheaths may be removed and treated (to avoid odor and spoilage), then re-attached to the horn core. If the horn sheath popped off during the fall and was recovered, the animal would still be eligible for the P&Y book; however, if the horn was broken off (core and all), the trophy would be ineligible.

Turkeys In Southwest Washington

M.P., Vancouver, Washington: "I plan to start turkey hunting with my bow this coming spring. Could you please tell me the best places to hunt in southwest Washington, as well as any recommended strategies for success. I'm eager to learn, and even more eager to bring home a turkey. Thanks very much."

I live here in the Northwest but I'm at a loss, because I haven't hunted Washington for turkeys. My best advice would be to contact WA Fish and Game and ask where there are good concentrations of turkeys in the area where you want to hunt. Then it will be a matter of doing lots of scouting and knocking on doors. If you're afraid to knock on doors, your chances of finding some good spots will be difficult. Hunting turkeys on public land is doable, but generally difficult.

Line Up Fletching With Broadhead Blades?

T.D., Lawton, Oklahoma: "Does arrow fletching need to line up with the blades on a broadhead?"

This is a commonly asked question. There is no real need to align the fletching with the broadhead blades on a well-tuned setup. If your setup is tuned properly, every broadhead-tipped arrow in your quiver should group the same. However, I personally line mine up just to make my entire setup more consistent and to keep everything functioning properly.

Two very common culprits of bad broadhead flight are wobbly broadheads and weak arrow spine. Make sure your broadheads spin true. If you find one or more that wobbles, try squaring your inserts on the arrow, then screw the broadhead back in and spin it again to see if the wobble is gone. G5 Outdoors' A.S.D. (Arrow Squaring Device) Tool (www.g5outdoors.com) makes short work of "bad" inserts and it's available at most archery pro shops. If you still have problems, have your local pro shop check the arrow charts to make sure you're using the correctly spined shaft for your setup. Good luck with your shooting, and have a great fall.