ohio valley outdoor times 6-2015

I was saddenedawhile back tolearn of Carroll“ B l a c k i e ”Black’s passingon March 23,2015, at the ageof 74. If therewas ever a well-known, respectedtrapper whosework influencedand inspired me topush harder on the trapline, it wasBlackie.Blackie’s book, You Can Make

Record Coon Catches, was a mainstayon my nightstand when I was ateenager. Every night I’d flip throughthat book, reading paragraphs hereand there before falling asleep. Mydreams were often filled with adven-tures of river traplines and hugecatches of fur. One time I dreamedthat Blackie and I had partnered upfor a river trapline and we piled somany raccoons into our boat that weactually swamped it! Alas, it was justa dream, but a good one at that.Although I never met Blackie, I re-

cently had the opportunity to talk to

Joanne, his wife of 34 years. Fromearly on in their relationship, Joanneaccompanied Blackie on the trapline.“When we got married in 1980, I

didn’t know boo about trapping,” shesaid. “The first time I went with him,I watched him make a fox set. Whenhe was done he moved down the fieldedge to make another one. I said I’djust wait there for him. As I was wait-ing, I had to relieve myself, so I justsquatted down and did it right thereby his set. He looked up and saw meand you’d think the world was com-ing to an end. He started shouting,‘No, no, no!’ because he thought I’druined the set. Well, the next daythere was a red fox jumping around inthat trap!“After that peeing incident, he re-

ally didn’t put as much credence inthe fact that everything must bemeticulous to catch a fox. He said itwasn’t ‘quite’ as important as peoplemade it out to be.”When they first got married, Joanne

and Blackie often talked about whatthey wanted to do, and one dayJoanne suggested that Blackie dosomething in the trapping industry.Trapping had been his passion sincehe was a kid growing up in MountVernon, PA, where he read and accu-mulated stacks of Fur-Fish-Gamemagazines.“He had so much experience trap-

ping all over the country, I thought it

OutdoorNymph Fishingfor TroutStory inside page 6 June 2015

FREE!Ohio ValleyOWNING A SUPPRESSOR 101 - P.14

Carroll Black:A Trapping Legend

Turn To Blackie Page 5

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of Joanne BlackCarroll “Blackie” Black, of Nashville, OH, made trapping and scent making a thriving business

for his family and the trapping community for 30 years. Blackie died earlier this yearafter battling cancer. His wife, Joanne, talks about his journey and passion for trapping.

Times

By Ralph ScherderHunting Editor

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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES2 June 2015

Most professionshave a handful of pio-neers, mentors and fore-fathers who pave theway in their industry.Those who made itgreat, made improve-ments, invented bettermethods. Some evenrecorded their path, theirmethods and sharedthem with articles andeven books on their subject.

Those archives and printed materials areonly part of the assistance Carroll “Blackie”Black offered the trapping community overthe past 30+ years. Blackie, as most new himas, would help anyone who asked, as weread about this legend on our cover story onPage 1.

Blackie died earlier this year,at the age of 74, after battlingcancer. Veteran Pennsylvaniatrapper and award-winningoutdoor writer Ralph Scherderpenned a great article aboutBlackie — telling the storyfrom Blackie’s wife’s perspec-tive. Joanne Black offers somegreat insight on Blackie’s lifeand dedication to the sport oftrapping. Mrs. Black recog-nized early in their marriagethat her husband was veryknowledgeable about trappingand it was her idea to make abusiness out of the sport. Andtogether they made it work andmanaged to make a living fromtrapping.

As I mentioned, Blackie alsowrote a book about trappingand running a trapline. It wastitled, “You Can Make Record CoonCatches!” (see cover photo of the book onthis page). His passion, and efforts, in trap-

ping ended up helping, at least, one youngPA trapper in Scherder.

Blackie was well-known for his scentmaking skills and other products he pro-vided through his business, Blackie’s Blendlure business. It was based out of Nashville,Ohio (Holmes County).

In the trapping profession over the pastthree decades, Carroll “Blackie” Black’sname is be mentioned — and respected —as “one of the best” in the industry. Thankyou Blackie! You will be missed. Yourlegacy lives on.

As mentioned in Scherder’s article, fellowtrapper Scott Welch purchased Blackie’sBlend to keep that tradition going. ContactWelch by phone at: 330-378-3708 or on theweb: www.blackiesblend.com.

Praise is High for NewRuger 77/17

OVO writer and firearmsreviewer Bill Waugaman man-aged to pull off an impressivecoup by getting one of the firstRuger Model 77/17’s to re-view. Waugaman presents thatreview in this issue, beginningon Page 10. With his handyconnections and persistenceWaugaman was able to securethe new Ruger rifle and be oneof the first writers/reviewers totest the 77/17.

Waugaman had this to sayabout the 77/17 in .17WSM,“The accuracy and consistencyof the Ruger 77/17 in .17WSMwith a 20-grain bullet was veryrespectable. This rifle shot asgood or better than many cen-terfire rifles at 100 yards.”

Look for a video reviewof the Ruger 77/17 in the near future on ourwebsite: www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com.

Thank you Blackie!

4 Hunter & TrapperEducation in Ohio

ODNR

6 Nymph Fishingfor Trout

Jeff Knapp

7 Five Ways to Saveon Boating Budget

Boat US

8 When GettingSkunked is No Option

Grey D. Berrier II

13 Youth AnglersComplete Season

Larry Claypool

14 Owning aSuppressor 101

Travis R. Hunt

18 Fish StructuresAdded by ODNR

19 Big Bite at BerlinWMT

INSIDE THIS MONTH

10 Ruger Chambering for Model 77/17

Free Fishing Clinic - June 20 (9:30 a.m.- 2 p.m.) at Eagle Creek Conservation Club (boys and girlsages 4 to 15. Must pre-register by June 19. Club located at: 5525 Eagle Creek Road, Leavittsburg,Ohio, 44430. Call 330-638-7222, email at [email protected] Tournaments at Hubbard Conservation Club - June 27; July 11, 25; Aug. 8, 22 (5:30-11:30 p.m.) $9 entry, 30% payout for 1st, 20% for 2nd. $4 for side pot, largest fish. Club located at:1760 Wick-Campbell Road, Hubbard, OH 44425. For info. call Brian Radcliff at 330-610-5802.Ohio River Catfish Tournaments - June 27, July 18, Aug. 8 at Chester City Park marina, Chester,WV 26034. Sponsored by Chester-Newell Sportsmen Club. Entry $10 per fisherman. Begins 7 p.m.Saturday, ends 7 a.m. Sunday. Boundaries Pittsburgh, PA to Wheeling, WV. Contact Chaney’s Serv-ice Station in Chester at 304-387-3982.3-DArchery Shoots - July 5,Aug. 7, Sept. 6 at Beaver Creek Sportsman Club, Washingtonville, OH.Cost $10 (12&up), $5 (11&under). All welcome. For info. call Chuck York at 330-978-3253 or 330-716-3964.

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Publisher/Editor, Larry [email protected]

Graphics Designer, Linda [email protected] Consultant, Tracy Bissell

[email protected]@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

Ohio Valley Outdoor Timesis published by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine©

Offices located at210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, OH 43920Phone 330-385-2243, Fax 330-385-7114

[email protected]

To Advertise CALL 330-385-2243

OutdoorOhio Valley

TimesJune 2015 VOL. 7, NO. 06

Contributing EditorsRalph Scherder, Hunting Editor

Jeff Knapp, Fishing EditorBrian Miller, Field Editor

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

Ohio Valley Outdoor Times is all about its readers.We’d love to hear from you.

Send us something [email protected]

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Blackie’s book, ‘You Can

Make Record CoonCatches!’, was considereda trapper’s ‘standard’ oninformation available

about running atrapline.

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COLUMBUS, OH — Our hunter andtrapper education programs area de-signed for every age and ability, and isrun by some of Ohio’s best and mostknowledgeable hunters and trappers.They’ll help you understand where, andwhen, it’s legal to go for the game youwant.While hunter education is a vital part

of becoming an Ohio hunter, newhunters also have the option of huntingwith an apprentice hunting license beforetaking a hunter education course.To find a Bowhunter Education

Course contact Doug Baxter, OhioBowhunter’s Association, BowhunterEducation Chairman at [email protected] or (740)-637-1681.Hunter Education CoursesThe Division of Wildlife offers three

types of hunter certification courses:Instructor-Led CourseInstructor-led courses last about 8-12

hours, and take place in a classroom en-vironment. Certified volunteers and Di-vision ofWildlife staff teach the courses.They are specially trained and highly

qualified to help you learn.Though it varies by instructor and lo-

cation, most classes take place over twodays. Study materials will be provided inthe class, but you will need to bring apencil or pen and a highlighter. Your in-structor will cover a range of topics,from conservation, safety, and ethics tothe proper handling of shotguns, hand-guns, bowhunting gear, and more. Youshould not bring firearms or archeryequipment to class - all necessary equip-ment will be provided.Once you’ve completed the course

work, you will be given a 100-questiontest which includes a mix of multiplechoice, matching, and true/false ques-tions. A student must score 80% orhigher on the test to pass and obtain cer-tification.

Home-Study CourseIf you prefer to work at your own pace,

Ohio also offers a home-study version ofhunter education. We recommend tack-ling one chapter at a time, and answer-ing all review questions on the providedanswer sheet. Each completed answersheet will be required for a final class-room session prior to finishing thecourse.The final completion session usually

lasts 3 to 4 hours, and will be led by a

Division of Wildlife employee or certi-fied instructor volunteer. It will includefirearm safety training and other topics.Each home study chapter review quizmust be presented at the completion ses-sion. Completion sessions include thesame 100-question final certification test

as the instructor-led course. Be sure tobring a pen or pencil so you can take thetest.Find information about a Hunter Edu-

cation Course at:www.wildlife.ohio.dnr.gov.


Ohio Valley Outdoors -Photo by Linda McKenzieOVO Pro staffer Denny Fetty tapes an instructional video on gun safety for the OVO web-

site. Fetty is one of several volunteer hunter education instructors for Ohio ODNR.

Hunter & TrapperEducation in Ohio


would be a fit,” said Joanne. “I told himthat and he said, ‘I think I could do that.’”And so the Blackie’s Blend lure busi-

ness was created, based out of one of thesmall buildings in their backyard nearNashville, OH. Blackie worked hard atdeveloping new scents and sending themout to well-known trappers for field test-ing. For over 30 years they put in theirdue diligence and travelled the countryto attend as many trapping conventionsas possible to promote the brand.“We started from nothing,” said

Joanne. “I worked with him in the busi-ness and we built it together. It was hardwork, but it became very successful andkept food on the table for 34 years.”Many trapping lures contain secret in-

gredients; however, one ingredient thatcannot be hidden is skunk essence.Joanne said that when Blackie was work-ing with skunk essence he knew betterthan to come into thehouse. He had to takehis clothes off beforecoming inside and headstraight to the shower.She wouldn’t eventouch his clothes untilseveral days later.“One of his lures, Magnum, is loaded

with skunk essence,” she said. “It’s apaste-type lure, which makes it more re-sistant to weather and last longer.Blackie used to demonstrate it to every-body by turning the lure upside down toshow that it wouldn’t spill out. Well, atone convention we were set up outsideand it was so hot that the sun loosened upthe paste in the bottle. When he turned itover to show some guys, it dropped rightout onto his foot! Everyone had a goodlaugh at Blackie’s expense.”Blackie was a very driven man. That

drive to succeed could very well havebeen ignited the day he found out he wasadopted. He’d just graduated from highschool and needed a copy of his birth cer-tificate so he could join the Marines.Upon visiting the courthouse and notfinding any records, he asked the clerkfor help. The clerk then told him who hisreal parents were and where to find hisbirth certificate.“He said he always felt like a second

class citizen,” said Joanne, “and I thinkthat’s why, because he was adopted andbecause of the way he found out. Thatput a lot of drive in him. Whatever hedid, he did it the way it should be done.He felt like he had to prove to himselfand to others that he could be good atsomething, especially the last few years.”Blackie was an avid reader of all types

of books from trapping to self help andknowledgeable on almost any subject.“Some people might have taken it thewrong way,” said Joanne, “but he likedto share his knowledge with everyone hemet. He was never bragging.”At heart, Blackie was a trapper. Al-

though he was best known as a raccoontrapper, his favorite animal to trap wasmink. He loved the river because he saidit was so peaceful and quiet, and he lovedhis country. “Everywhere we went hewould say ‘Look at the sky’ or ‘Look atthose mountains.’ He always said thatwe don’t appreciate life and all of itsbeauty the way we should. Although wedid a lot of traveling, we didn’t stop at asmany places as we’d have liked becausewe were always going to conventionsand when they were over we had to gethome. It was fun but a lot of work.”As they got older, Blackie and Joanne

knew that eventually they’d have to giveup the lure business.They agreed to keepthe two pickup trucksthey had at the time, aToyota Tacoma and aChevy Colorado, sothey wouldn’t haveanymore vehicle pay-

ments to worry about later on.Blackie was diagnosed with cancer in

June 2014, and by January they knew hewasn’t going to make it. They sold thebusiness to fellow lure maker ScottWelch, who will continue to market theBlackie’s Blend brand. “Not long afterthat,” said Joanne, “he was sitting in hischair one day and said we were goingshopping for a brand new Coloradopickup.”Joanne reminded him of their agree-

ment to hold on to their older pickups sothey wouldn’t have payments, to whichBlackie replied, “I know, but I want youto have a new vehicle so you don’t haveto worry about it breaking down whenI’m gone.”“He always took great care of me,”

said Joanne. “The past few months havebeen difficult for this old lady. My lifedoes not exist as it once did. Not only isBlackie gone, but the business is gone,too. Those two were my life and now Ihave neither one of them. It’s been anadjustment for me.”Next time I pull Blackie’s book off of

my shelf, I’ll have a greater appreciationfor all that he accomplished as a trapperand a businessman. Years of experiencewent into all of his works. He set out tobe known and recognized in the trappingindustry. He accomplished that and awhole lot more.

Blackie From Page 1

Blackie wasdiagnosed with cancer in

June of 2014.

When nymph fish-ing for trout, smalladjustments — onesdesigned to presentflies in slightly dif-ferent currents —can often translateinto big results.The basics of

nymph fishing callfor a fly (or multipleflies) to presented inan upstream direction. Nymphs, oftenweighted with bead heads, lead (or lead-free) wire wraps, split shot added to theleader, or a combination of all of these,get the flies down to where the fish are.In the cold water of early spring targetedareas are typically deeper, quieter areaswhere trout can position themselves tointercept natural nymphs and larvaewithout bucking heavy current, oftentaking advantage of the calm spots pro-vided by submerged rocks, ledges andother forms of cover. By this time of yearareas of faster current — where oxy-genated water is present and bug life

most common — tend to be the mostproductive.Within these basics are many details

that can make all the difference in termsof fish action — such as:• Fish the close water first, even if it

doesn’t look all that appealing. It’s easyto spook fish by initially targeting whatin your mind is the sweet spot of a run.Be patient.• Your short game is often your best

game. Don’t try to drift too large anarea. Limit your “span” to about a 90 de-gree arc, one started with a cast quarter-ing 45 degrees upstream.• To cover new water it’s often best to

reposition yourself, rather than addingdistance to your casts. There is often asweet spot within a run— in terms of notonly fish location but yours as well.Gradually working the water, varyingyour casting position in a thorough, well-planned manner, ups your chances offinding the magic combination.• A strike indicator not only ups your

odds of detecting a trout’s strike, it is

also representative of how your flies aremoving in relation to the current. Com-paring the speed of surface bubbles tothat of the indicator’s drift tells you whatadjustments you need to make (such as aline mend) to keep your offerings drift-ing at the correct pace. Remember toothat bottom currents are often slowerthan surface currents. An indicator thatis lagging a bit is not necessarily a badthing.• Trout location is often based on cur-

rent, so be sure to experiment by thor-oughly fishing all of the current seamswithin the run you are working. Fromthe angler’s vantage point we may pickout seams that scream to us as being in-dicative of the where the fish should be.And we are often correct. But certainlynot always. Let the trout tell you werethe perfect spot(s) is within a run by cov-ering all of it all. It’s not wrong to havepreconceptions; just don’t let these no-tions keep you from fishing all the water,an effort that often leads to a pleasingoutcome.• Don’t overlook spots that seem de-

void of enough current to hold trout, par-ticularly if the spot has other positivecharacteristics such as depth. During arecent trip to a west-central Pennsylva-nia streammy friend Luke Ruddock took

several nice trout on nymphs from thelower end of a pool, an area with little


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Turn To Nymph Page 7Turn To Open Season Page 7

Nymph Fishing for Trout

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Jeff KnappLuke Ruddock displays a nice

rainbow trout taken from a slow poolduring a late May outing.

By Jeff KnappFishing Editor

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR• E-mail: [email protected]•Write: “Dear OVTimes” at Ohio Valley Outdoor Times: 210 E. 4th Street,East Liverpool, Ohio 43920• Please include your full name, address and phone number. Letters may beedited for clarity and space.

ADVERTISING• E-mail: [email protected]• Phone: 330-385-2243• Fax: 330-385-7114•Write: advertising at Ohio Valley Outdoor Times:210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920

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current but significant depth. While thatstretch fell into the category many fly an-glers might classify a “frog water,” Rud-dock took several nice rainbows andbrowns from it. Drifting a nymph is anefficient way of fly fishing, so it makessense to cover all possible areas. It canpay off with bonus fish.

Nymph From Page 6

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Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine

Summer brings va-cation time, longweekends, and op-portunities to travel.For outdoorsmen andwomen, this fre-quently results infishing new watersfor the first time. Doyou have an anglingstrategy for working a new body ofwater? Maybe you have a few provenold-favorite lures that you like to probepreviously unexplored waters with. Pos-sibly you’ve found talking to the folksin the next campsite or visiting the localbait shop to find out what the fish havebeen biting is the best course of action.This is all solid advice to put you intothe fish, but what if you absolutely haveto catch fish on your inaugural outing onunfamiliar water? What will be your“go to” method to ensure the highestpossible percentages are in your favorwhen it comes to catching fish that firsttime out? Let me paint the picture andthen offer my preferred means of solv-ing the puzzle.

Your vacation plans have you rollinginto a beautifully wooded public camp-ground overlooking an expansive reser-voir known for its good fishing. Youhave the next day set aside for just beingout on the water. However, you’re notgoing to be alone in the boat. You’regoing to be accompanied by an adultwho has never fished before (could beyour spouse, buddy, relative, or co-worker – you fill in the blank) and ayoungster (possibly your child, grand-child, niece/nephew, or your friend’schild – again your choice). They arecounting on you to teach them to fish,want you to help them catch some fish,and the objective is to have a safe dayon the water while everyone has a goodtime. Being on the water at first light isnot an option since your two fishingcompanions declined such an early riseand your family members strongly ob-jected to you getting up and wakingthem at what they deemed was an un-godly hour. This means your first ven-ture out on the reservoir will most likelybe between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. whenyou’ll have to contend with some boat

and personal watercraft traffic.Sound like a difficult scenario —

something that might tax your amateurguiding prowess and challenge your rep-utation as a competent fisherman orwoman? Experienced anglers have beenencountering these circumstances forgenerations and they represent prime op-

portunities to get new adults and young-sters involved and excited about ourgreat sport of fishing. Start by accept-ing some basic parameters. With limitedor no casting experience, your two fish-ing companions are not ready for a daytossing jigs, spinners, crankbaits,


When Getting Skunked is Not an Option

Ohio Valley Outdoors–File photo by Larry ClaypoolFind a nearby bait shop to obtain fathead minnows, emerald shiners,

or possibly another minnow variety the locals prefer to catch more fish.

By Col.(Ret.)Grey D. Berrier IIFIN Pro Staff

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Turn To Skunked Page 9


spoons, or other artificial lures. Sim-plify things by making it a bait and bob-ber outing for you and your two eagerguests. Learning how to lob bait and ter-minal tackle towards prominent struc-ture with a spinning, spincasting, orbaitcasting outfit will be doable, even forcomplete novices.If you were given the heads-up that

fresh fish is on the evening’s menu forcampground cuisine, then that clearlyups the ante for your fishing party.WhenI absolutely have to catch fish on a mid-day summer outing, my “go to” bait ofchoice is a live minnow. Find a nearbybait shop to obtain fathead minnows,emerald shiners, or possibly anotherminnow variety the locals prefer. Re-member water temperature and dis-solved oxygen content are critical forkeeping baitfish alive and active. Thinkahead about having a means to controlthe water temperature and provide aera-tion. I like 1 1/2” – 2” fathead minnowsfor their durability in the minnow bucketand on the hook. Small fatheads willregularly attract crappies, smallmouths,largemouths, rock bass, white bass, andperch; while occasionally drawing inwalleye, striped bass, northern pike,

trout, or channel catfish on some waters.Terminal tackle can be kept simple

with a size 6 or 8 long shank hook, a sin-gle splitshot placed 8” above the hook tohold the minnow down in the water col-umn, and a bobber/float attached 18” tosix feet above the minnow dependingupon the depth at which you choose tofish at. With literally hundreds ofpatented floats/bobbers to select from, Iprefer Styrofoam models with centralplastic pegs that permit quick and easydepth adjustment. I hook my minnowsthrough the back, just ahead of their dor-sal fin, but not so deep that it impactstheir spine. This hook-up keeps the min-nows on the hook, enables them to re-main lively with minimal impediment,and facilitates solid hooksets when thebait is taken. After casting out, keepyour line relatively straight between therod and your bobber. When you noticeyour bobber begins to move, slowlytighten your line. When the bobbercompletely disappears below the sur-face, set the hook and enjoy the subse-quent battle. Half the fun is eventuallyseeing what you’ve caught, since yourquarry can vary so much when using liveminnows.The key to finding fish mid-day dur-

ing the summer will be locating structureand shade. Look for evidence that thewater is deeper, such as steep banks.Large rocks, submerged trees, logs,stumps, rip-rap, bridge and dock pilingswill all attract and hold a wide variety ofgame fish species. Casting a minnow ona bobber close to any of this aforemen-tioned structure will frequently bring onthe bite in short order. Look for promis-ing spots in small coves or inlets thatoffer shade away from the main channelwhere boat traffic will impair your abil-ity to fish. A partially submerged log in8 to 12 feet of water, back in the shade,may be just the ticket for success andfinding that pattern in multiple locationscould be the key to a highly productiveday on the water for new and experi-enced anglers alike.It’s always exciting to fish new water-

ways. If you’re traveling this summer tovisit a new lake or reservoir, taking outsome first-time anglers, or just gettingstarted in fishing close to home; a liveminnow fished on a bobber rig can bejust the right answer when it comes toavoiding getting skunked. Giving gamefish the option of taking what is already#1 in their natural diet should be part ofyour “go to” fishing repertoire.

Skunked From Page 8 Three OVOContributors HonoredSEVEN SPRINGS, PA — Three Ohio

Valley Outdoors magazine and OV Timesregular contributors recently won topawards at the Pennsylvania OutdoorWrit-ers Association (POWA) and OutdoorWriters of Ohio Excellence in CraftsAwards banquets in May.

OVO Publisher/Editor Larry Claypooltook third place honors in the OWO BestColor Photo category for a photograph ti-tled ‘First Raccoon’. Outdoor writer SteveSorensen won two categories and wasrunner-up in three others in the POWAevent. OV Times Hunting Editor RalphScherder claimed two awards in thePOWA event.Sorensen took first Place in the Best

Book Award category for Growing UpWith Guns and first place, HandloadingPromotion Award for Electronic Media;runner-up in three other categories.Scherder was runner-up in the POWA

Best Color/Black and White Photo cate-gory for his photo titled, “Raccoon in atree”. His first place honors came in thePennsylvania TrappersAward category foran article titled, “Quest for a Red Fox”.


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Media Range Dayat the SHOT Show isalways full of sur-prises, and the 2015show was no differ-ent. Sturm Ruger hada prototype of a boltaction rimfire riflechambered in .17Winchester SuperMagnum on the fir-ing line and it musthave generated quite a bit of interest.Four months later, the Ruger 77/17® in.17WSM is now a reality.The quality and craftsmanship syn-

onymous with Ruger firearms is obvi-ous. Picking up and holding this 77/17for the first time, it had the feel of a qual-ity centerfire rifle. Even when you lookat the individual components, the phys-ical attributes and craftsmanship of the

parts are built asif this was a cen-terfire rifle.

Physical DimensionsThe Ruger 77/17® in .17WSM has an

overall length of 43 1/4” and weighs 7.5pounds. The length of pull is 13 1/2”. Toput this in perspective, this rifle has thesame weight and length of pull as theRuger Hawkeye standard rifle in .30-06chambering, and the overall length ofthe 77/17 is only 3/4” longer.

ReceiverThe receiver is the heart and soul of

any rifle. All of the other componentsare connected to it either directly or in-directly. You can have the best barrel oraction or stock, but without a top qualityreceiver to bring it all together, perform-ance will suffer.Ruger’s commitment to quality and

craftsmanship is evident in the 3-step

manufacturing process of the receiverfor this rifle made from heat-treatedGrade 410 stainless steel. The receiveris initially made as an investment cast-ing, a process that produces parts having

h i g hdimensional accuracy and an ex-

cellent surface finish with no flashing.Next, the cast receiver is CNCmachinedto precise specifications. The last step isthe final finishing.Scope mounts for many firearms are

attached with screws into the receiver.With the 77/17, they are actually ma-chined into the receiver eliminating thepossibility that the mount can workloose.The ejector is incorporated into the de-

sign of the receiver. As such, there areno separate mechanical parts to bend orbreak, and it functions perfectly.

StockThe stock is made from American

Walnut and has a smooth satin finish.From the factory, swivel stud mounts arealready installed fore and aft. With onlyabout 1 1/2” drop at the heel and astraight comb, the shooter has a comfort-

able line of sight even when a 50mm ob-jective lens scope is mounted.A black spacer is located between the

stock and the rubber butt pad, a designthat Ruger has used for quite a while.

This spacer better an-chors the mountingscrews and is morestable against the

wood than the soft rubber butt pad whenmatch sanding the pad. On the Ruger77/17 sent for this review, all threepieces fit together seamlessly.During the assembly process, extra

care is taken to insure proper bedding ofthe receiver and barrel with the stock.It’s this attention to details like this thatset rifles manufactured by Ruger apartfrom many others.

BarrelInstead of manufacturing a barrel

specifically for the .17WSM, Rugerchose to chamber the barrel designed forthe centerfire .17 Hornet. Using a barrelcapable of handling the higher pressureand velocity of the .17 Hornet will bemore than ample to safely handle the.17WSM.The barrel is hammer forged from

Grade 410 stainless steel, which con-tains chromium. This alloy it a good

Product Review

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of Ruger

Sturm Ruger Chambering theModel 77/17 in .17WSM

By Bill Waugaman

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Turn To Sturm Ruger Page 11

choice for barrels because of its highstrength, heat and corrosion resistant.The exterior of the barrel is given amatte stainless finish for additional pro-tection from the elements and to elimi-nate any glare easily spotted by gameanimals.

The .17WSM barrel on the Ruger77/17 is 24” long and has a heavy con-tour, .925” receiver diameter and .66”muzzle diameter. The rifling is 6grooves with a 1-in-9” twist, the stan-dard twist for this cartridge as outlinedby SAAMI. To protect the rifling, Rugerrecessed the muzzle and chamfered thebore to protect the crown. The barrelscrews into the receiver and head spacedconventionally.

BoltThe polished stainless steel bolt is

made in two sections. The bolt lugs andhandle are part of the back section. Thefront section is a non-rotating breechblock that acts as an extended bolt headpressing up against cartridge securing itin the rifle’s chamber.

The 90° rotation of the bolt handle toclose serves two purposes. Obviously, itlocks the bolt assembly in position.More importantly, the bolt lugs and re-ceiver are machined to exacting toler-

ances so that when the bolt lugs cam for-ward, the forward movement sets thehead spacing precisely.

As a final step, Ruger etches the re-ceiver’s serial number into the undersideof the bolt. The bolt, receiver and barrelare now a matched set.

ActionThe 3-position safety is located at the

right rear of the receiver within easyreach using a thumb. In the safe posi-tion, the safety pushes a pin forwardlocking the bolt down from any move-ment, locks the striker in place and locksthe trigger from any movement. Ruger’scommitment to manufacturing a safefirearm is obvious in the design of thissafety.

The Ruger 77/17 has a flush mountedbolt release at the left rear of the re-ceiver. With the bolt open, pressingdown on the bolt release allows the boltto smoothly slide out. The bolt can beeasily slid back into the receiver withoutthe need to hold down the release, a verynice feature.

TriggerThe 77/17 is equipped with a single

stage, non-adjustable trigger. From thefactory, the trigger pull on the rifle usedfor this review consistently measured 6pounds at the center of the trigger. The

sear has a crisp, clean break with almostno creep.

MagazineLike other Ruger rotary magazines,

this 6-round magazine incorporates aninternal rotor that keeps the cartridgesseparate. It mounts flush with the stockfor a smooth, aesthetically clean appear-ance. The rotary magazine for the.17WSM cartridge is marked accord-

ingly.If you watch closely, you will see that

the magazine used for the .17 WSM car-tridge is a work of engineering genius.As the bolt moves forward, the cartridgedoes not release from the magazine untilit clears the retaining ridge on the mag-azine throat. At this point, the ballistic


Sturm Ruger From Page 10

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of RugerIf you watch closely, you will see that the magazine used for the .17 WSM cartridge

is a work of engineering genius.

Turn To Sturm Ruger Page 12


tip on the bullet is already inside thechamber and the cartridge head slides uponto the bolt face under the hook extrac-tor. Now, the cartridge is aligned to feednearly straight into the chamber, not atan angle.There are two definite benefits. First,

the chance of a cartridge not loading intothe chamber when the bolt is pushed for-ward is nearly eliminated. Second, sideof the bullet is the first point of contactin the chamber, you are less likely to dis-tort the bullet tip that could adversely af-fect accuracy.

At the RangeFor range testing, the Ruger 77/17 was

equipped with a Vortex DiamondbackHP 3-12x42 scope. The ammunition wasWinchester’s .17WSMwith the 20-grainpolymer tipped bullet.Winchester used a 24” barrel to test

their .17WSM cartridge and rated the20-grain bullet at 3,000 fps. My experi-ence has been that muzzle velocities typ-ically fall short of what the manufacturerstates, irrespective of the manufac-turer… until now. Fifty rounds werefired through the Ruger 77/17, two testshots to check positioning of the chrono-graph and then 8 strings of 6 shots.

The results for the 48 shots:• lowest muzzle velocity… 2,976 fps• highest muzzle velocity… 3,115 fps• average muzzle velocity… 3,060 fps• only 3 readings fell below 3,000 fps;

3 readings were 3,100 fps or moreThe 24” barrel of the Ruger 77/17 will

deliver the velocity performance of the.17WSM cartridge.To check accuracy, 25 3-shot groups

were fired at 75 yards initially.• smallest 3-shot group was .3”• largest 3-shot group was 1.2”• average was .8”• 84% of the groups were 1” or lessAfter giving the bore and chamber a

good cleaning, the next trip to the rangewas to check accuracy at 100 yards. Asexpected, 3-shot groups were slightlylarger than the groups at 75 yards.• smallest group was .6”• largest group was 1.4”• average was .9”• 73% of the groups were 1” or lessThe accuracy and consistency of the

Ruger 77/17 in .17WSMwith a 20-grainbullet was very respectable. This rifleshot as good or better than many center-fire rifles at 100 yards.

Final ThoughtsAs of this review, Ruger is the fifth

manufacturer having a rifle currently

available chambered in .17WSM, andonly the second in a bolt action. With anMSRP of $999, the price point for thisrifle falls between Savage rifles and theones fromWinchester, FranklinArmoryand Volquartsen in .17WSM.Ruger has been manufacturing the

Model 77 for over 30 years. The originalconcept behind the Model 77/22® linewas to build a .22 rimfire rifle to thesame standards of quality, accuracy and

strength as a centerfire rifle. The Model77 line was expanded to include .17 cal-iber cartridges after the .17HMRwas in-troduced in 2002. Adding the .17WSMcartridge to the Model 77/17® line,Ruger had put the ballistics of a rimfirecartridge that fills the void betweenother rimfire cartridges and small calibercenterfire cartridges into an exceptionalrifle.

Sturm Ruger From Page 11

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo by Bill WaugamanThe accuracy and consistency of the Ruger 77/17 in .17WSM with a 20-grain bullet was very

respectable. This rifle shot as good or better than many centerfire rifles at 100 yards.

Pennsylvania turkey hunter Curt Grimmmanaged his first — and second — broom bearded turkeys this past spring. The secondone, Grimm is holding, was his biggest tom yet, a 23-pounder, taken on a local farm.

INDUSTRY, PA—OVO contributingwriter Curt Grimm slammed a pair ofPennsylvania broom bearded toms thisspring. And the second one sported twobroom beards. “I was so excited to getthe first one, my first ever, and the nextweek took a big 23-lb bird that had twobeards, both broom beards,” saidGrimm.

Turkey season ended May 31 in theKeystone State. Grimm, who lives in In-dustry, PA, said he also hunted forturkeys in neighboring Ohio but passedon a big tom late in the season he’d pur-sued for weeks. “He gave me such agood chase all season, I decided to lethim walk,” said Grimm.

Two PA Broom Beards


With a completedfirst season under theirbelts, the organizersand champions of theUpper Ohio Valley Stu-dentAngler League arealready looking for-ward to another greatseason in 2016.League organizer

Harry Emmerling saidsuccess was enjoyed byeveryone connected tothe new league, which involves highschool-age bass fishermen (and girls) com-peting in a tournament-style format in boatson local waterways. The league (UpperOhio Valley “UOV” Student AnglerLeague) competes under a format estab-lished by the Fishing League Worldwide(FLW) and Student Angler Federation.In the inaugural season, eight regional an-

glers, from three different school districts,participated in the league, which was basedout of East Liverpool, OH. Participating an-glers were from: East Liverpool (two teams;

Blue and White), Beaver Local andHopewell (PA).The Blood Traditions Archery Angler of

the Year honors in the league went to theonly female in the league, freshmanStephanie Emmerling, of East LiverpoolBlue. She claimed the individual season titleby winning the third event of the year (a1.86lb smallmouth was the top fish of theday) and finished fourth in the other twotournaments. Stephanie is the daughter ofHarry Emmerling. Along with her team-mate, sophomore Andrew Deering, EastLiverpool Blue also won the team title for2015. A win in the third event, on the OhioRiver, sealed the title for Team Blue.The pressure now falls on this year’s top

anglers to repeat the performance next year.Stephanie Emmerling said there will defi-nitely be pressure for her to repeat. “Yesthere’s pressure for repeating as Angler ofthe Year next year, because there’s good an-glers out there with more experience. But, Iguess it all depends on the fish. (Smile.)”,said Emmerling.Harry Emmerling said he and the coaches

were very pleased with the athletes duringthe short inaugural season. “The kids wereoutstanding and I think they really learned alot, especially once they got on the waterwith the coaches,” said Emmerling. “Theyhandled themselves great and no one got

hurt.”Emmerling added that with the help of

knowledgeable coaches, volunteers andsponsors the first season went very well.“The adults really made it happen! From theguys in the boats — who we couldn’t dothis without — to the parents back on shorewho helped with everything from feedingthe kids to setting up for the weigh-ins,”added Emmerling.The UOV league will look to expand next

year. Working with a small group this yearwas by design. “That way we could makesure we had enough boaters and all the kidsgot the fish. Plus we could make changes onthe fly with such a small group,” said Em-merling.Other top anglers in the league standings

were: East Liverpool White’s LoganBouscher, Hopewell’s Curt Jena and DannyGentile and Beaver Local’s Justin Flowersand Tyler Smith and East LiverpoolWhite’sBen Adams.Meetings, and practices for new mem-

bers, are being held this summer and fall toprepare for next year. The first meeting fornew members will be June 21 (6 p.m.) at theHOYA Youth Recreation Center (formerEast Junior High in East Liverpool). Othermeetings are scheduled for July 12 andAu-gust 9 at the same location.Emmerling said he expects two more

teams to join from Beaver County, PA andadditional teams from East Liverpool andBeaver Local school districts. Volunteeradult tournament anglers with bass boats arebeing sought to assist in the future.For information about the Upper Ohio

Valley Student Angler League, contactHarry Emmerling at 330-383-1194 [email protected].

Youth Angler LeagueCompletes First Season

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of UOVSALEast Liverpool Blue’s Stephanie Emmerling (left)and Andrew Deering claimed top team honorsin the Upper Ohio Valley Student Angler

League’s inaugural season.

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

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Hiram PercyMaxim invented andsold the first firearmsuppressor in 1902.This simple metalcylinder has filledtheaters with nostal-gic scenes of gang-sters eliminating theirvictims and Ameri-can special-forces de-fending freedom withdeafening silence. Suppressors have al-ways been legal to own. However, theprocess is regulated, in part, by the Na-tional FirearmsAct of 1934 (NFA). TheNFA imposes an excise tax of $200 onthe purchase and transfer of any firearmsuppressor and delegated authority tothe Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco andFirearms to regulate these devices.However, as an Ohio hunter, I had notgiven suppressors much thought. Thisall changed on March 23, 2015, becausethis was the day that hunting with sup-pressors became legal in the BuckeyeState. Yes, section 1533.04 of the OhioRevised Code1 is now effective and

hunters, me included, began to ask ques-tions. The purpose of this article isthree-fold: 1. detail the benefits of uti-lizing a suppressor; 2. detail popularsuppressor options; and 3. provide anavigable process flow to obtain a sup-pressor.Writing this article inevitably resulted

in me consulting a subject matter expert(SME). I spent nearly five hours, overtwo days, absorbing a wealth of storiesand information from Mr. J. D. Jones,founder of SSK Industries in Win-tersville, OH(http://www.sskindustries.com). Howdid I know he was a SME? For starters,nearly five years ago, my wife wantedto surprise me for my 40th birthday, byhaving the severed wooden stock on mygrandfather’s bolt action, Anshutz riflerepaired. The wooden stock was splin-tered in the late 1980’s during highschool antics and had sat in a gun casefor 25 years. TheAnshutz corporate of-fice in Germany recommended SSK En-terprises.Imagine my wife’s surprise when she

learned this company was located in our

back yard. Secondly, and more impres-sive, J.D. is the inventor of the 300Whisper cartridge, which over the yearshas morphed into the popular 300 AACBlackout cartridge. J.D. shared with methat he has operated from the current lo-cation since 1988 and provides a widevariety of custom gunsmith services inaddition to manufacturing suppressors,

custom AR platforms and Contenderand Encore barrels. My second day withJ.D. concluded with a hands-on demon-stration of suppressors in action.

OptionsAccording to J.D., the world of sup-

pressors is full of variables. The obvi-


Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo courtesy of J.D. JonesThe author (right) is shown with SSK Industries owner J.D. Jones. Hunt is holding a sup-

pressed Ruger 10/22 and Jones a suppressed Contender chambered in 41 caliber.

Owning a Suppressor 101

By Travis R. HuntOVO Pro Staff

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Turn To Suppressor Page 15

ous variable is the reduction in decibelsachieved between a specific gun,dressed with a specific suppressor andfiring specific ammunition. Change anyof these and the sound will change.After that “accuracy and repeatabilityare most important.” This means that asuppressed weapon does you no good ifit is not accurate. To appreciate what asuppressor does we must understandhow our firearm produces sound. Theact of firing the cartridge results insound produced initially from the me-chanical components of the firearm.After the propellant ignites the in-evitable muzzle blast yields high tem-perature pressure and gasses or what isjointly known as turbulence. We oftenrefer to this as muzzle-blast. Muzzle-blast is associated with all bullets exit-ing a muzzle and varies tremendouslyfrom weapon to weapon and cartridge tocartridge.I dismissed the commonly held mis-

conception that suppressors decrease ac-curacy once I understood thefundamental operation of the device.The suppressor functions by divertinggas pressure away from the bullet andinto and ultimately through the suppres-

sor. The device enables the bullet to exitthe muzzle “normally” with minimal in-fluence of muzzle-blast. The bullet notonly propels from the muzzle quieter butalso smoother. The reduction of thevariables of muzzle-blast enables the op-erator to experience a more consistentexit which improves accuracy. Addi-tionally, the added weight of the sup-pressor to the barrel creates a heavierand thus more stable weapon. Againthis can result in an increase in accuracy.The four common variables the sup-

pressor shopper will encounter include:1. construction metal; 2. installation; 3.internal configuration; and 4. price.Suppressors are available in aluminum,stainless steel and titanium construction.Of course, price is reflected in that tita-nium suppressors are the most expensiveand aluminum is the least. Aluminumsuppressors appear to be trending out ofpopularity so I will not further addressthem.The concept is, you get what you pay

for, meaning that titanium constructionis lighter and sometimes quieter thanstainless steel. A center fire titaniumsuppressor is about two pounds lighterthan a stainless steel suppressor.The only remaining variable to ad-

dress was price. J.D. stated that the ex-isting $200 transfer fee, mandated by theNFA, is unavoidable and therefore, mustbe always factored into your shoppingbudget. A custom SSK stainless steel.22LR suppressor is $400. A customSSK stainless steel center fire calibersuppressor is $650 while the titaniumversion is $950. He explained that22LR and .223/5.56 suppressors are hismost popular suppressors. Threading a

barrel may include an additional charge.Editor’s note: Read the rest of this ar-

ticle in the Summer Issue of Ohio Val-ley Outdoors magazine. The authordetails a five step process that will helpyou purchase a suppressor. Step 1 in theprocess is to contact a suppressor dealer.J.D. Jones may be a good choice. FindSSK Industries online at:www.sskindustries.com.


Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by J.D. JonesThe author is shooting a suppressed Colt M16A1 in a full automatic mode.

Notice the four rounds expelled from the chamber and yet to hit the ground.

Suppressor From Page 14


Gary Singer10-3/4" beard, 1-1/4" spurs,

22.5lbs., bow

Taylor Johnstonsmallmouth bass

New Cumberland Dam, OH

Shawn Johnstonsmallmouth bass

Columbiana County, OH

Clayton Gourly, age 1318-1/2" bass

16-1/2" crappie

Shawn Dickey19lbs. gobbler

Monroe County

Barry Highfield2nd spring turkey

Hancock County, WV

Heather TiceSpring Turkey

Send Us Your PhotosWe’ll print your hunting, fishing or trap-

ping photos in the next issue of OV Times orOhio Valley Outdoors magazine. Send pho-tos via mail, email or Facebook.Email to: [email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East Fourth St., East Liverpool, OH 43920

Barry Highfield1st spring turkey

Hancock County, WV


Rod Maylelongbeard

Lee County, VA

Connor Mayleturkey

Trumbull County

Mike Craig8-pt. buck

Mahoning County, OH

Tristan, age 21st fish

Tomlinson Run State Park, WV

Nate Smith23lbs., 10.5" beard, 1.25" spurs

Robert Pattersoncrossbow kill

Robert Patterson10-pt.

Mahoning County, OH

Aiden Thompson, age 91st turkey, 17 lbs

Trumbull County, OH

Tim Baker18lbs., 9" beard, 1" spursPrime Archery bow kill

Tim Baker20lbs., 9.5" beard, 1" spurs

Duane Eucker22lbs., 10" beard, 1" spurs

Larry Zarlengobow kill


Ohio Valley Outdoorswww.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

COLUMBUS, OH — Over 1,500 do-nated Christmas trees were recycled intofish concentration devices this past yearby the ODNR Division of Wildlife.Structures were placed in Berlin Reser-voir (Mahoning, Portage, and Starkcounties) and Tappan Reservoir (Harri-son County) in areas that will benefitshore anglers and boat anglers alike.“Both of the areas where we placed thesestructures are within walking distance ofa major parking lot and within a half-mile of a boat ramp,” said Matt Wolfe,fish biologist who oversees this projectfor the ODNR Division of Wildlife.“These fish attractors will be drawing inpanfish for shore anglers and boat an-glers for several years to come,” headded.On Berlin Reservoir, close to 400

structures were added to the structuresplaced at Price Street last year. The struc-tures are in about four to eight feet of

water, and run from N 40o 58’ 16.2” / W81 o 6’ 20.0” to N 40o 58’ 27.8” / W 81o 6’ 18.4” . On Tappan Reservoir, 60structures were placed just north of thebeach adjacent to the MuskingumWater-shed Conservancy District’s TappanLake Park. The structures were placed innine to 12-feet of water, and run from N40o 19’ 38.9” / W 81 o 10’ 56.2” to N 40o 19’ 31.8” / W 81o 10’ 53.5”. The mapdatum on your GPS unit should be set atNAD 83 to find the structures and the co-ordinates provided are in degrees, min-utes, and seconds.The goals of this project are to in-

crease angler participation by concen-trating fishes in identified areas and toincrease angler catch rates. The ODNRDivision of Wildlife thanks the Mahon-ing County Green Team and variousother tree vendors across northeast Ohiofor recycling the trees, the MahoningCounty Sheriff’s Office for transporting

materials, The Muskingum WatershedConservancy District, and the U.S.ArmyCorps of Engineers- Berlin Office forplacing some of the structures. A down-loadable Google Earth file containing allof the structure placements throughoutnortheast Ohio is available by contacting

theWildlife District Three office at (330)644-2293. To view pictures of the struc-ture placements, visitwww.wildohio.gov.Visit the ODNR website at

ohiodnr.gov.

Fish Structures Added by ODNR

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of ODNRODNR Division of Wildlife Biologist Dan Wright takes a load of pine trees

to an underwater dropoff site for fish structures at Tappan Lake.


BERLIN CENTER, OH—The morn-ing rains didn’t intimidate the 31 boatfield in Walleye Madness Tournamentssecond event at Berlin Lake. Participantswere spread out throughout the lakeusing many different techniques to catchtheir five best walleye to bring up to thescales.First place was captured by the team

of Sam Cappelli and Ted Jackson. Cap-pelli and Jackson hauled a nice 18.05lbbag. The pair also collected $150 Mer-cury Contingency Bonus with being thehighest finishing boatequipped with a Mercury.Chris Durkin and Anthony Naples,

who brought 17.55lb to the scales, edgedout Nate Arnold and Bret Berkey for athird place finish. The combined with a17.50lb bag.Durkin and Naples picked up the Lund

Contingency worth $150 with being thehighest finishing LundBoat. Marion Erb and Robert Burkholdergrabbed fourth place with a strong16.90lb bag. James Dean and

Jeff Metzger rounded off the top five.The $200 Buckeye Sports Center BigFish Bonus went to the team ofRyan Cecil and Brock Stence with amonster 7.05lb walleye.Many teams reported catching their

fish with jig and worm/minnow combos.Working the shorelines onboth north and south ends of the lake.Pitching up into the willows in 1-8 footof water seemed to holdthe bigger fish. Teams trolling targetedsuspended fish in 30-50 feet of waterusing #5 flicker shads.Trolling speeds up to 2.7 mph.Walleye Madness Tournaments are

sponsored by Buckeye Sports Center,Lund Boats and MercuryMarine. The series offers no-member-ship fee required 100% payout tourna-ments, plus $500 per eventin sponsor bonuses. Cabela’s NationalTeam Championship qualifying is pro-vided by the series affiliationwith the national organization TheWall-eye Federation.

Big Bite At Berlin

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of WMTSam Cappelli and Ted Jackson captured topteam honors in the second Walleye MadnessTournaments event at Berlin Lake. The duo

combined for a nice 18.05lb bag.

Why Should WeHunt? Reason #1:

Ecological Balance

COUMBUS, OH—Why should wehunt? You may have many reasons ofyour own, but there are three main rea-sons that we think are important, andwe’ll highlight one each week. Reason#1: Ecological BalanceOhio hunters play a critical role in

the control of deer and other animalpopulations, which are carefully stud-ied by the Division of Wildlife. Thelength of hunting seasons and otherregulations are directly related to theneed to thin or extend species numbersin the state. Without the help of Ohiohunters, a few of the risks include un-controlled deer populations devastatingcrops and creating hazards for driverson roads and highways throughout thestate.To see the other ‘Why Should We

Hunt?’ reasons, visit the Wild Ohiowebsite at: www.wildlife.ohio.dnr.gov.

TAKE A KIDHUNTING OR

FISHING

ohio valley outdoor times 6-2015

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