Category Archives: Latest Adventures…

Latest Adventures...

NJ Striper Fishing Adventure! Springtime Striper Wranglin`!

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NJ Striper Fishing from a boat, is something that I had always read about in the magazines, but had never actually experienced. So when a friend asked me if I`d like to join him on his boat & have a go at it, I was all in!

Plans were made & I received a text from “Captain Bob” on Friday asking if I could be at his house at 4am the next morning to head down to Atlantic Highlands. “Heck yea!” I wrote back. I could hardly sleep that night, almost like a little kid the night before Christmas!
I was at his house at 4am sharp & ready to go. Jumped in his truck & away we went. Like I said earlier, I had never ever fished from a boat for Stripers, so this was a totally new learning experience for me.  
We stopped & grabbed a couple of breakfast sandwiches before we got to the marina, and at that time I took a half a Dramamine……. And yes, I get sea-sick in the calmest of ocean waters! And we didn`t need `ol “Chum King Ken” to show up that morning! ha! ha!
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Arriving at the pier at the break of dawn,
there was barely a breeze & the water looked
really calm. Captain Bob was out the day before in the same weather conditions, & told me they managed to catch twenty Stripers!
So I had my fingers crossed, hoping for a little De’Ja’ Vu that day.
The Captain decided that it would be best to troll as they hadn`t done anything with bait the previous day. So he set up two poles with umbrella rigs & explained to me what to do when one jumped on. Now at that point, I was really gettin` pumped & ready to nail a few sea-cows!
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And it wasn`t too long before it happened…….BAM! Fish on!
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I caught my 1st Springtime Striper in a boat! 
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As the morning went on, I wrangled up a few more beauties out there. And I have to say this, Captain Bob was probably the most gracious Captain you`d ever meet on the high-seas. He actually let me catch every Striper that morning! And I caught a few beauties!
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Captain Bob kept us on the fish for a few hours, before the boat traffic got too heavy. We only ended up with seven that morning, but the ones we caught, were all really nice, big Stripers!
And of course, I had to bring to Go PRO……… So here is the clip I shot of the day`s adventure.

 
Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed catching those Big Springtime NJ Stripers!
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

The little Squirrel that could… fly! Those “Rare” New Jersey Flying Squirrels

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There are so many different critters and interesting facets in the New Jersey outdoors that I come across. I thought I`d share this with all of you, as I think you`ll enjoy it too. 

While I was out and about scoutin` some new deer hunting territory last week, I set up a couple trail cameras to see if there were deer moving in the area. When I checked them over the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised at what sort of “Rare” creature showed up to have his or her picture taken.  
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The New Jersey Flying Squirrel! Yep…….. I did say “Rare” didn`t I? See the reason that I said that they are rare, is because they are nocturnal and unless you`re out and about in the night, most folks rarely have ever seen one!
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Now they don`t fly exactly fly like a bird, but they are able to glide from one tree to another with the aid of a furry, parachute-like membrane that stretches from their wrist to their ankle. That`s exactly what it is, a built in parachute.  
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Notice the times these little devils showed up on my cameras………Definitely enjoy the night don`t they?
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There are two types of Flying Squirrels in New Jersey. The Northern Flying Squirrel and Southern Flying Squirrel. The Northern is is likely to be found in coniferous and mixed coniferous forests, where as the Southern Flying Squirrel, which is more common in my area and likely to be found in hardwoods where there might be hickory or beech trees. Flying squirrels eat a variety of foods which include seeds, nuts, fungi, fruit and insects. Now the Southern Flying Squirrel is considered to be one of the most carnivorous squirrels, because from time to time, they will supplement their diet with eggs, birds, and carrion. 

    
 
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Here is a picture of that same tree. Look at the size of the Grey Squirrel on the left, compared to that little devil of the night on the right! Pretty amazing isn`t it?
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Hope you enjoyed learning a little about those “Rare” New Jersey Flying Squirrels………..
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

A NJ Goose Hunting Adventure

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My phone rang last Friday night around 8:30pm and it was my buddy Curt. He said, “Hey feel like doin` a little Goose Hunting tomorrow?” – I said, “Sure….. if ya called earlier I would`ve gotten some shells” – Curt replied laughing, “I got ya covered,….. see ya at 6am”
Now goose hunting is something I never tried and I did want to try out my new Browning A5 as I only got a chance to use it twice this past Spring while turkey hunting. I thought, “Ahhhh……what the hell…… Curt`s got shells……. Let`s have a go at it!”
So I met him at the spot that next morning which is public hunting land. I pulled in just minutes before Curt got there. Then another couple of goose hunters pulled in the lot right next to his truck. Now we got out after they pulled in and figured they would at least have the courtesy of asking where we had planned to hunt, since we were there obviously first. Seemed like just a common courtesy doesn`t it? Well, these two jumped out of their car, not even acknowledging us, and started rifling out their blinds and decoys out of the trunk, like it was a race to get out there. 
Curt was pissed and just said, “Screw it…… let`s go somewhere else, away from these a-holes”
We circled around to another field about a mile or so away, and all of the sudden we could see these two guys hustling across the field wearing their headlamps! We started laughing as we couldn`t understand why the hell they parked where they did in order to walk all the way across these fields! 
Curt said, “The hell with them, let`s go back where I originally wanted to take us as we won`t be anywhere near them!”
So we did just that. Went back to our original spot, grabbed our guns and decoys and made our way out into the darkness across several fields. 
Got the decoys all set up in the field, cleared out a couple spots in the hedgerow as the idea was to have the geese fly across the field into the decoys as Curt called.
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After waiting for about an hour or so, the first flock appeared heading right towards us but too high.
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Then a few more flocks kicked up in the next hour and a half, but none came our way. 
I have to admit, I did find it pretty exciting to hear and see various flocks of geese getting up! Definitely got my blood pumping! Then another flock was veering off to our left and Curt started calling them…….
 The flock turned in our direction! Curt said, “They`re not real close but let`s let them fly over the trees and get by us” – And that`s just what we did…… And Curt went, “Now!” – His 10 gauge and my Browning 12 gauge rang in that cold morning air as we fired away at the flock, knocking down just one goose out of the sky. Curt said, Hey it wasn`t real close shooting, but we got one”  
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Even though we only got one, it was certainly a very enjoyable morning of goose hunting. As we made our way back to the trucks, Curt graciously said, “Ken you take that goose since you`ve never had one to eat”
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“I was pretty eager to get my knife to breast-out that Canadian Honker when I got home!”
Sharon prepared the goose the next day and slow-cooked it for seven hours on low and one hour on high in a CrockPot. Now she won`t usually eat any of my “Wild Cuisine” that I bring home, but as I said before, she is always more than willing to cook whatever it may be! (Lucky guy ain`t I?!) –
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That goose tasted exactly like roast beef and it was so tender! She cooked potatoes, green beans and onions with it. Everything was absolutely delicious! If you would like to know exactly what she used to season it, just ask me on here and I`ll get all of the details for you. 
Yep……… my kinda supper! Complimented with a nice, ice cold PBR! Perfect. 
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

Wintertime Deer Hunting in New Jersey with Ken Beam

Wintertime Deer Hunting in New Jersey can be challenging especially when you combine a brutally cold day in January with a gusty wind. But regardless of how hard the wind was howling that morning when I walked out on my back patio in the dark, I was determined to have a go at it and get up in my tree stand before daybreak. And I did indeed have second thoughts!  
Now every hunter has his or her own rules when it comes to deer hunting. Some won`t shoot does, others will only shoot trophy bucks and then some of us like to have a freezer full of venison to enjoy throughout the year. Well…….. I certainly like to crack a nice big buck just like any other guy or gal out there, but as the season progresses, I have to focus on fillin` my freezer. And that`s exactly what I did the other cold morning when I was out and about.
I jumped up in my tree at 5:40am and as I looked up at the stars in that cold crystal clear sky, the trees readily swayed back and forth in the strong wind. Definitely was having some doubts as to how or even if the deer would be moving this morning.  
Then at around 8am, movement caught my eye about 150 yards out. Seven or eight deer began to skittishly 
meander the hillside then disappeared. I quickly turned on the Go PRO………..  
So crank up your speakers and jump up in that tree with me and let`s see how it turns out!
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

An Afternoon New Jersey Pheasant Hunting Adventure at Spruce Run

New Jersey Pheasant Hunting seemed like an ideal alternative solution, when deciding what to do on this very windy Saturday afternoon.  Heck I was in my tree all morning before daybreak and the only movement I had seen all morning was a pretty Red Fox that came scampering by right at daybreak.
By the time I was climbing down out of the tree and got back to my truck, it had warmed up to a “balmy” 38 degrees. I decided to scout out another spot and also was considering having a go at some late-Fall Bass possibly that afternoon.  
Right as I was leaving my newly scouted spot, my friend Curt called and said he was heading over to Spruce Run that afternoon to chase some pheasants and wanted to know if I was up for it.
“Hell yea” I told him, and said “I`ll see ya around 2pm” as I had to go home, change guns and shells, take the pups out and grab a bite. I ended up getting there about 2:15 and figured we`d have about two hours of shooting daylight by the time I caught up with Curt and Jake.   
We weren`t hunting together more than thirty minutes when Curt`s GPS Tracking collar showed Jake on point.
Then the goose-chase began, as the collar was telling us that he was on point in one direction about 150 yards out. As we hustled off in that direction, at about 80 yards out Curt said, “Now it says he`s in the opposite direction 90 yards away!”.- This had only happened to us once before while using the GPS Collar.
But what a pain in the ass as you can`t find the dog! And I literally walked by him when I was within 50 yards away in the brush! Doubling back, I caught a glimpse of Jake on point in the brush and yelled to Curt.   
So I did have the Go PRO that afternoon and think you`ll enjoy this short clip that I shot of the day`s adventure;


Though we only hunted a couple hours that windy afternoon, we managed to each get a pheasant and Curt graciously gave me his at the end of the day.
Just two good friends scouring the fields and tramping through the brush searching for those ring-neck and hen pheasants…..and whether we get to hunt for the entire day or just a few hours, there`s nothing quite like the camaraderie that comes from hunting together. 

   
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

NJ Deer Hunting – Ken Beam Deer Hunts and Fills His Freezer

NJ Deer Hunting is a tradition that I`ve been doing for forty-two years. It`s hard to believe that much time has past as I can still recall my first morning ever deer hunting at the age of ten, like it happened yesterday. I can still hear those shots at eight o`clock and just minutes later, three bucks appeared!! I certainly heated up the barrels of that old JC Higgins Double-barrel 12 gauge that cold December morning. Cleanly missing all three bucks! My Dad said later that morning, “I don`t think I ever heard anyone load and shoot a double barrel that fast ever!” Heck those deer were over a hundred yards away out in an open field and I was still shaking and shooting at them! ha! ha! 
So here I am at fifty-two still enjoying this immensely and still getting excited when that buck comes through. 
Although I like to think I can keep my composure better when one comes through than I did that morning back in 1973! ha! ha!
This December has been unseasonably warm…… very warm for that matter. However I decided to have a go at it on Thursday morning since I don`t work till 1 o`clock that day. It had rained steady the night before and was still drizzling when I walked out to my truck at 4:30 that morning. One thing that I have always enjoyed and have had a decent amount of luck is hunting or fishing in a light rain. The wet leaves would be ideal, as I would be able to pussy-foot easily to my stand. 
I got up in the stand at 5:30 as I like to get situated while there`s still a fair amount of darkness. Had my `ol 1960 Belgium Browning Light Twelve Gauge paired with a Full-Choke Browning barrel from a 1938 Belgium Browning that I also have. This combination throws a pattern of Triple 0 Buckshot unlike anything I have ever shot. As a matter of fact, (and I do have witnesses for you non-believers out there) I actually killed a buck with a single shot at 93 yards with this gun using Triple 0! Dropped my hat where I was standing when I shot, called my cousin over and he paced it off from the hat to where I was standing with the buck and was shocked!     
At about 7am, that “One-Horner” came scampering by spooked by something and the sound of my old Browning awoke the the quietness of the morning forest. My morning hunt had been successful and now I would have the pleasure of enjoying delicious venison in the months ahead.
   
I read quite a few conversations on-line lately in regards to NJ Deer Hunting stating that “There just aren`t any deer around this year” ………. And I don`t know what the exact answer to this statement is, but perhaps some of the following factors come into play. 1.)The State of NJ has the one of if not the longest deer season in the country, as the State wants to cut down the population. Heck when I was younger, we had 6-Day Firearm and a Doe-Day the following week. You didn`t have a Permit Shotgun Season that allowed you to hunt deer till the middle of February. So perhaps their plan is working and finally catching up?
2.) Coyotes. Who remembers ever hearing those “Song Dogs” while in your hunting stand years ago? I personally never ever heard them until a few years ago. You certainly hear more and more about them in recent years. 
3.) Baiting. Maybe this element has made deer hunting way too easy in the State. I`m nuetral about this and really could care less how anyone chooses to hunt or what they choose to shoot.(Bucks or Does). But maybe this is another factor?
4.) Weather. I don`t ever remember it being as warm as it was for the entire week of 6-Day Firearm, as it was last week. We all know that deer do not move the same when it`s warm outside as they do colder weather. A factor for seeing a limited amount of deer last week? Could very well be. 
Well whatever the reason was, I hope we all can enjoy many, many more years of NJ Deer Hunting. 
Happy Hunting!
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Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

Ronco Pocket Fisherman & Ken Beam on a Friday Lunch-time Adventure!

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Well I guess……. some of us take lunch and some of us need to quench that “thirst” for adventure! Ha! Ha!
I opted for the latter today and took my Ronco Pocket Fisherman to the river for a hour to see if indeed I could tangle and wrangle with a Northern Pike.
I think you`ll enjoy this quick Go PRO Video I shot of my Friday Lunch-time Adventure;
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

Quail Hunting! NJH member and Ken Beam Hunt Quail in South Jersey

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This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking Matt, aka “Berserker” as he goes by on
NewJerseyHunter.com, quail hunting with my buddy Curt and I down in the Pine Barrens. 
I always enjoy hunting with someone like Matt, as he truly loves the comradery that comes with hunting.
He was a heck of a nice young fella and a great shot to boot! 
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That`s an action shot of Matt shooting his 1st quail of the morning!
This was his first time ever quail hunting and we were hoping to get him plenty of action. While we didn`t get into as many birds as we usually do, Matt certainly got a few chances to crack a few of those tasty quail.
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So without any further ado, here is Matt aka “Berserker” showing you how it`s done in a Video I shot of the day`s adventure down in the Pine Barrens last Saturday; 
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I do believe this enthusiastic hunter did indeed enjoy his Quail Hunting Adventure last Saturday. To me that`s what it`s all about,…… Sharing experiences and making new friends along the way…… 
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

NJ Pheasant Hunting – a Thanksgiving Day Tradition

NJ pheasant hunting on Thanksgiving Day, has been a long time tradition that my good friend Curt Ryder and I have enjoyed doing for quite a few years. Heck come to think about it, we`ve probably been doing this a good fifteen years or more. There are always a lot more pheasants stocked on Thanksgiving eve as compared
to the regular, weekly stocking days, so there`s plenty of action!
We met at our usual spot on Rte. 46 this past Thursday and made our way north into Sussex county to have a go at some early morning “birds” at sunrise. 
 
As we got out across the first field, it wasn`t long before a very excited Jake bumped the first bird! Then he settled down and hunted great the rest of the morning. 
Here is the Video I shot of our NJ Pheasant Hunting Turkey Day Adventure last Thursday;
 
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A good day of NJ Pheasant Hunting on Turkey Day indeed!
Till next time…..
Latest Adventures...

NJ Quail Hunting – an Adventure down in the Pine Barrens

NJ Quail hunting down in Greenwood Forrest, deep down in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey is something that I do indeed enjoy with my good friend Curt Ryder each small-game hunting season. Last Saturday we ventured down into the Pine Barrens to have a go at those tasty NJ Quail. 
I met up with Curt at our usual spot at 4:30am as it`s about a two hour drive to our destination in Greenwood Forrest. Loaded up my old Browning 20-gauge shotgun, gave Jake a pat on the head as I jumped in his truck and we were on our way.
The terrain is quite different down there compared to what we`re use to when hunting in up in north Jersey. Much flatter, sand rather than dirt, and I don`t ever remember getting a tick on me while down there either.

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As we headed to the fields right before sunrise, Jake was fired up and ready to go as usual!
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With the action hot and heavy, it wasn`t long before Curt scored his first Quail on that very cool morning(see his breath?) –
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I certainly heated up the barrel on my `ol 1959 Belgium Browning 20 gauge that day as there was plenty of shooting!
Here is the video I shot of our NJ Quail Hunting Adventure down in the Pine Barrens;
It was a great morning hunting as we ended up with our limit of Quail. 
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Till next time….
A great morning hunting with a great friend…….. It doesn`t get any better.