<![CDATA[Mason Leather - MASON OUTDOORS]]>

<![CDATA[Mason Leather - MASON OUTDOORS]]>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:12:28 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Cartridge Cuffs on a Bolt Action Rifle: My Winchester Model 70 Featherweight 243]]>Fri, 22 May 2020 14:58:14 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/cartridge-cuffs-on-a-bolt-action-rifle-my-winchester-model-70-featherweight-243

By Lee Mason

Picture of Winchester Model 70 Featherweight

My Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Compact .243 with matching Cartridge Cuff & Sling in Coffee Dark Brown

When we think about gun leather naturally we envision scenes of lever action rifles, single action revolvers, Bowie Knives, 1911 pistols and maybe even the venerable Smith & Wesson K-frame, but most of us don’t think of bolt action hunting rifles. Until recently neither did I. Here’s why I do now:

Bolt action rifles have taken the hunting world by storm over the past few decades. They are accurate, reliable and certainly put meat on the table and until recently I didn’t have one. I was and arguably still am a lever gun guy. I owned several mil-surps and had even killed a nice boar hog with a vintage Swiss K-31, but a hunting bolt action was not in my inventory.

The lines of a quality bolt action are beautiful and if built properly they are a joy to shoot, with great balance and uncontested reliability. I wanted a rifle that could be trusted season after season to be dialed-in and ready to hunt, without worrying if the zero had shifted or if it would go bang when a nice buck was in my sights… but being a lever gun guy, this bolt action also had to look good.

The style of a Winchester Featherweight is hard to beat: Classic walnut, Mauser-style action, knurled steel bolt handle, schnabel forend and crisp checkering. Combined with a Leupold FX-II 6x scope on Talley rings, it may be the perfect deer rifle.

Leather on a Timeless Hunting Rifle: Cartridge Cuff & Sling

Alright, back to the point of the article.

Leather can definitely be at home on a bolt action, and being a maker of fine Cartridge Cuffs and Rifle Slings, rest assured I’d deck out my new rifle in some. I wanted to contrast the walnut stock a bit rather than match it, so I picked “Coffee Dark Brown” as my color choice for both the cuff and sling. Most people seem to be going with 1 ¼” slings these days, but I’ve always been fond of 1” slings. They carry fine, especially a light rifle, and they are easier to wrap around your forearm for some stability for offhand shots.

The timeless Mauser-inspired design of the Model 70 really looks classy and with the straight-comb walnut butt stock, a Cartridge Cuff fits as if it was born there. I really love how the rifle turned out and it just looks even better with some good gun leather.

I chose a Coffee Dark Brown Cartridge Cuff with caliber stamping for my Winchester

Come And Take It! Perfect for a Texas deer rifle!

A matching 1-inch leather sling finished off the combo

Zeroing the Featherweight

To make the story of the rifle even better, it was mid-way through the 2019 Texas Rifle Deer Season when it arrived. I didn’t have a chance to go to the local range before going hunting, so I figured I’d zero the Winchester on the family hunting land and take another rifle that was good to go in case time didn’t allow a makeshift range session.

I hunted the first morning with my other rifle, but come mid-day I set up a 100 yard range in front of deer camp and rolled out an old cable spool to use as a shooting bench. Using homemade shooting sticks as a rest, I fired 2 shots and checked the point of impact. There were two holes just over the bullseye, almost touching.

Adjusting the Leupold’s windage and elevation knobs slightly, I fired the other 3 rounds still in the 5 round magazine. I now had two holes touching in the bullseye and one just to the right. This little 243 Winchester was a real tack driver! And that was with plain old 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt hunting loads! The Featherweight was ready to hunt.

My makeshift rifle range

Top target: first 2 shots after look-through=barrel bore sighting. Bottom target: dead on in under 5 shots!

First Hunt, Buck Down!

Our property isn’t huge, just 62 acres, but lots of deer travel through it and I had one spot in mind you might never guess. When coming back to camp after dark we would shine a flashlight into the field that our camp was on the edge of and often we’d see deer’s eyes reflecting on the north end, seemingly unconcerned that a fire was rolling and people were hanging out less than 100 yards away. I decided to hunt the north end of the field, within spitting distance of camp and the makeshift range where I had just zeroed the rifle.

That evening I hauled a folding camp chair, a bottle of water and my newly zeroed Winchester model 70 .243 to the north end of the field and set up under a lone, scrawny oak tree out by itself in the field away from the main woods. The little oak had a lot of small branches close to the ground, so my outline was broken up well sitting against the trunk in my chair. All I had to do was be still and watch the wood line to my northwest, I knew that’s where the seer approached from.

After about an hour the sun started to dip and shadows lengthened and suddenly a deer appeared right in front of me, like a ghost, as they typically do. At first I thought it was a doe, which in my county were by then out of season, but I noticed a tiny spike on one side of his head, which made it a legal shooter. Years ago Texas had implemented antler restrictions and on small parcels of land like we had it could be tough to come by legal deer (spikes being legal), especially because our county only had a short doe season, so a spike buck was more than welcome, especially late in the season when I hadn’t seen anything legal to that point.

I sat motionless because the buck was only about 15 yards from me in the open and I pondered how I’d be able to move and get my rifle lined up for a shot. After a slow few minutes, the buck having stopped and stared at me several times, he walked behind me and out of my sight. The light was fading fast and it was now or never.

As smoothly and quietly as I could I twisted my body around and leveled the rifle through the tangled branches, hoping the deer would be where I thought he was. Not 10 yards away, just inside the woodline and directly in my sights, the little buck was nipping at browse and unaware or unconcerned about me. I touched the trigger and the .243 barked, dropping the spike where he stood. A 100 grain Core-Lokt going almost 3,000 FPS at 10 yards will make that happen.

Ecstatic, I racked the bolt to feed a fresh shell into the chamber in case he jumped up, but it was done. The little Winchester Featherweight had made a clean kill on its very first hunt, about 100 yards from where it had been zeroed.

I picked up the spent casing, checked on the beautiful little spike buck and gave thanks. Thanks for meat for the freezer, for the sacrifice, thanks for a great hunt, and thanks for the opportunity and God’s good grace upon me that day.

The 100 grain Remington Core-lokt left quite the blood trail, but tracking wasn't necessary

My first deer on the family property! This spike buck is a trophy to me!

That Winchester Model 70 has really opened my eyes to the joy of shooting and hunting with a quality bolt action rifle. As the model name implies, it really is a featherweight and paired with the 243 Winchester cartridge, Leupold FX-II 6x Scope on Talley rings and a Mason Leather Cartridge Cuff and Sling, it is a joy to shoot and carry afield. My lever actions have some stiff competition when deer season rolls around!

Beautiful checkering on the Winchester model 70 Featherweight

Controlled-round feed Mauser inspired action

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been hunting since he could carry a rifle, mostly with lever actions up until recently.

]]><![CDATA[Cartridge Cuffs & Shell Holders: Sourcing the Best Leather]]>Tue, 19 May 2020 22:14:37 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/cartridge-cuffs-shell-holders-sourcing-the-best-leather

By Lee Mason

Cartridge Cuff leather blanks cut, punched and ready for stamping or dye

Leather: It is a wonderful material, naturally sourced, sustainable. People have used it for centuries for clothing, shelter, bags, lashings and more recently Cartridge Cuffs and Rifle Slings. Leather is not all created equal. Different tanneries specialize in different kinds of leather and leather wholesalers source their leather from all over the world.
You may be starting to see why finding the right leather, the best leather for the task, can be tough. Since 2011 when I first began leatherworking, finding good leather to begin a project was always the hardest part. Keep reading to learn all about my journey to provide Mason Leather customers with the best vegetable tanned leather available anywhere:

Vegetable Tanned Leather: Why it’s the best

Veg-tan leather is the gold standard for gun leather of all kinds. The name comes from the tanning process used, whereby hides are tanned with tree bark and other plant extracts. The result is a very durable, long lasting leather that can stand up to years of service.

Veg-tan leather also lends itself to wet molding, tooling and stamping, making it popular in the gunleather world. Boot makers also prize veg-tan leather for its durability and break-in process. Boots and shoes made from veg-tan only get more comfortable with time and wear.

Unlike harsh chemical tanning processes, vegetable tanning produces a leather that accepts dyes with character, with the true grain of the leather showing through on the finished product.

Veg-tan leather is also extremely strong, which makes it great for things like bullet-loop straps, Rifle Slings and such.

Veg-tan leather is the only kind of leather I use. There simply is no substitute.

Good vs. Bad Veg-tanned Leather

After reading the above paragraph you might think that all veg-tan leather would be great, but like anything there is a quality scale to it.

When I first started leather work I would go to a local supplier that is well known in the leather industry, but I’m withholding the name so as not to ruffle any feathers and get nasty emails. Long story short, I used them for years for the main reason of being able to physically examine the hides before purchasing them. I was very hesitant to mail-order leather, not knowing what I’d get, then have to return it.

The problem was that I would sort through a pile of 50 or more sides of leather, only to find a few (if any) of high enough quality that I’d want to use it. It became a real chore just to get a supply of good, clean veg-tan for my Cartridge Cuffs and Slings.

So, what makes good veg-tan or bad veg-tan?

Bad veg-tan could have one or many of the following qualities: a high number of holes or scars, stretch marks, changes in temper on the same hide (how soft or hard the leather is), a nappy flesh side (this could be from the leather being split poorly, with a dull blade, or poor handling at the tannery), or inconsistent thickness throughout the hide. The biggest problems were inconsistent thickness and bad temper, which I believe to be signs of a poorly run tannery. Scars and holes have to be expected to a point, but thickness and temper can really ruin a project.

Good veg-tan is a thing of beauty. It will have the following qualities: Few if any holes or scars, consistent temper throughout the hide (a good balance is needed between firmness and pliability), a clean, smooth flesh side and consistent thickness. It is very hard to find veg-tan with all these qualities, and when you do find it, it tends to be expensive.

A note on leather thickness: in leather working the thickness of the leather is referred to as the leather’s “weight.” This does not actually have anything to do with how heavy the leather is, rather it refers to some goofy thing from hundreds of years ago having to do with the machine used to split the leather (I don’t recall exactly)… sort of like how the “gauge” of a shotgun refers to the diameter of the quantity of lead balls that could be cast from a certain weight of lead.

I use 8/9oz veg-tan leather for all Cartridge Cuff blanks as well as my Slings. It is thicker than what a lot of other makers use for similar products (either because they are cheap or they don’t know any better, thinner leather costs less) and makes a very durable piece.

For the cartridge loops I use 5/6oz leather. This is definitely thicker than what I’ve seen other makers use for cartridge loops. It provides a very long-lasting cartridge loop that will not wear-out over time.

Mason Leather Cartridge Wallets are built from 6/7oz leather. This produces a very durable pouch that will stand the test of time, without being overly bulky.

The Cuts: Shoulders, Sides, Backs, Bellys & Whole Hides

Back in the early days I wasn’t making nearly as many Cartridge Cuffs and Slings as I am now, so naturally I purchased leather in smaller quantities.

The various cuts of leather listed above refer to where on the hide they come from: the shoulder is just that, the shoulder section of the cow. A side refers to the right or left side of an entire hide, split down the middle length-wise. Backs are a premium cut, the leather of both sides along the middle, but excluding the belly. Bellies are a less premium cut, as they typically have inconsistent thickness and can be wavy. Whole hides are exactly what it sounds like, the entire cow!

I use sides exclusively as it gives you the best value per square foot and you can select the best sections out of a side (whole hides are not really feasible to mail order, they are HUGE).

Searching for Great Sides

As mentioned earlier, for years I had a lot of trouble finding great quality leather consistently. I could always find enough to get orders made, but it might involve driving all over town, going to different stores and sorting through piles and it became a true hassle.

Finally I decided to mail order leather online. Besides not being able to see the actual sides first, another possible concern with mail ordering is shipping cost. A rolled up leather side is pretty big and isn’t cheap to ship, so to make it worthwhile you really need to order as much leather as you can at once. If ordering several sides at once is viable, the shipping cost isn’t too bad.

The flesh side of some Weaver Strap Leather, incredibly tight grained and clean, the best leather I have found for Cartridge Cuffs and Slings

Best Supplier in the World - Weaver Leather

After a lot of research and emailing back and forth with a few suppliers, I decided to place an order with Weaver Leather out of Ohio. They had great reviews and if you set up a vendor account with them you can get discounts if buying in bulk. For my first order I selected a few sides in various weights, mainly to save on shipping.

Shipping was prompt, with a large box arriving via FedEx about a week later. I opened the box and unrolled the sides on the floor. Each was extremely smooth with a firm yet pliable temper that was just what I wanted. When I flipped the sides over I was amazed: the flesh side was the cleanest I’d ever seen, without any nappiness whatsoever. The leather even smelled amazing!

That was back in early 2019 and Weaver has been my exclusive source for leather ever since. I don’t know how many sides I’ve ordered from them, but every one of them has been top-notch. I’m constantly amazed at their incredible quality control every time I open one of those big FedEx boxes (but the FedEx guy probably hates me, a box with 5 sides in it has to be around 100 pounds!).

Mason Leather Customers Get the Very Best

It has been quite a long journey here at Mason Leather trying to find a trustworthy leather supplier to provide my customers with the very best every single time, but we finally found them!

Rest assured that when you buy a Cartridge Cuff, Rifle Sling, Cartridge Wallet or any other leather gear from Mason Leather it will be cut from the best sides money can buy. Also, as I’m making your gear I look over every piece of leather to make sure that it is of highest quality. If there is something wrong with it, it goes in the trash and not out the door.

Happy Hunting,
-Lee Mason

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle.

]]><![CDATA[Cartridge Cuffs & Shell Holders: How I Started Mason Leather & Cartridge Cuff Guy]]>Tue, 12 May 2020 19:21:25 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/cartridge-cuffs-shell-holders-how-i-started-mason-leather-cartridge-cuff-guy

By Lee Mason

Mason Leather Cartridge Cuffs, Fall 2019

Mason Leather wasn’t always called Mason Leather, and my Instagram account @cartridge_cuff_guy was my personal account not too long ago. Over several years both have grown and deserved to be revamped and made better for my incredible customers. Here’s how it all started and how it got to where it is today:

2010: Before I Ever Cut Leather

From 2006 to 2010 I served as an infantryman in the United States Army. I loved every second of it, even if it really sucked at times. “Embrace the suck,” is a common phrase in the infantry and you learn to laugh at anything less than pleasant (which is nearly everything).

From June 2008 to June 2009 I deployed with the 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One) to southern Afghanistan. We established an outpost that would later be named after our battalion, “FOB Ramrod.” During that year the Taliban really upped their IED game and my platoon hit countless bombs. During one day alone I recall our lead truck becoming disbled from a blast and the vehicle recovery team sent to recover the truck hit 3 more IEDs just on the way to get it.

To make a long story short, myself and my platoon made it back home to Fort Hood, Texas with only a broken arm to show for it, an incredible stroke of luck (or divine intervention) considering the ridiculous amount of IEDs we hit. That’s a testament to the MRAP trucks we received while in-country. Had we all been in Humvees we’d all have been killed. By the way, you can’t really see IEDs like in the movies, that’s all bull. The guys burying them hide them extremely well. The rest of our unit wasn’t as lucky. The Duke Brigade lost nearly 30 soldiers KIA during the deployment, plus a suicide while in-country. Many of my fellow soldiers went on to deploy again, some multiple times, and many of them gave their lives at the behest of the United States of America.

In October of 2010 my 4 years of active duty was up, and I went back home to Garland, Texas.

2011: My First Leather Project, A Pocket Knife Case

Everyone likes a good Buck knife. I was at the local Academy Sporting Goods store and they had a little Buck folding knife on sale. It looked like a perfect little pocket knife so I bought it.

Wanting a belt sheath for it, I looked online and couldn’t find one for this particular model. I thought that I could make one if I had the materials. Not knowing anywhere else to look I headed to Hobby Lobby.

They had several simple leather kits, including just what I was looking for, a pocket knife belt case with snap closure. I bought it along with some basic tools. That is really where my leather working journey began.
Once back home I opened the kit and followed the instructions. Within an hour I had a nifty little belt sheath for my new knife and it felt good to have made it myself. If I could make that, what more could I make?

Holsters

When you think of gun leather the first thing most people think of is holsters. I had recently purchased a Glock 19 and figured I’d take a shot at making a holster for it. A quick search on Google revealed a leather crafting store about 30 minutes away, so I headed out.

Arriving at the Tandy Leather store in north Dallas off of Northwest Highway opened a whole new world to me. I had no idea such a place existed. After pursuing the store for probably an hour I bought a simple holster kit, some leather dye and a few other things and set out to continue my leatherworking journey.

My first holster was what I would now call a huge piece of crap, of course I thought it was great at the time. Pretty soon I was buying shoulders of leather (about 5 square feet) and crafting my own designs without kits.

Over the next several years I made a lot of leather holsters for all manner of pistols: Glocks, FNs, KelTecs, revolvers of all kinds, etc. Holsters are tough because every pistol is so different, you have to have a pattern and design for each kind of pistol or your holster is going to turn out to be garbage. There’s a reason why really nice leather holsters are so expensive.

Although I sold a lot of holsters my first few years leatherworking, due to there being so much variance between pistols it was never a profitable use of time and I had to bow-out of the holster game.

Picture of 1911 .45 Holster & Magazine Pouch

1911 .45 Holster & Magazine Pouch set from the early days

Gator print leather holster for a Ruger Blackhawk 357 Magnum with matching cartridge belt

My First Cartridge Cuffs

Sometime way back either while I was in the Army or possibly before I discovered these things that slip on the butt stock of your rifle and hold some extra shells. I was doing a lot of hog hunting with my dad’s Winchester 94 30-30 and if you’ve hog hunted much you know that you might need to reload your rifle pretty darn quick!

I ordered a leather Cartridge Cuff (buttstock shell holder, butt cuff, they have several names) from a Texas based leather shop that had been in business a very long time (remember, this was years before I started leatherworking myself). It was great (mostly), allowing me to carry some extra shells and added a nice touch to a classic rifle.

One complaint I had about it was that on the straight grip of my Winchester 94, the Cartridge Cuff would slide up the stock no matter how tightly it was laced on, unless there was a sling stud or something else for the lacing to catch on. I rectified this issue on my designs a few years later.

One of my early cartridge cuffs featuring Pronghorn Antelope tooling design

Cartridge Cuffs - Money During College

Alright, back to 2011.

After getting out of the Army and working in an Amazon warehouse for almost a year, I figured I might as well use my GI Bill and get some sort of education. I wound up getting accepted to UT Dallas and began attending classes in fall 2011. As a full time student, despite the GI Bill covering tuition and granting a small living stipend, I needed a way to make some money while going to school. That’s when I remembered that Cartridge Cuff I had purchased years before, and with my new interest in leatherworking, I figured there had to be a way to make those and maybe sell some for spending money.

Getting the Winchester out of the safe, I examined the piece of leather on the butt stock. It didn’t look too complex, but I also had a lot to learn about leatherworking. Eventually I would realize that there is a lot of knowledge, craftsmanship and little tricks-of-the-trade that go into crafting a functional, good looking piece of gun leather that will last.

Estimating what I’d need, I headed back to Tandy and picked up some supplies. My very first Cartridge Cuffs were a lot like my first holsters: crap. But I persevered and wound up with a design that worked.

After getting a process down and making a few functional Cartridge Cuffs I started looking for a way to sell them, if anyone would buy them.

Oak Leaf tooled Cartridge Cuff from the full custom days

2012 - 2015: Custom Work and the Golden Era of the FB Gun Groups

When I first started making Cartridge Cuffs and holsters, I did a lot of hand-tooling. Tooling is the designs you see carved and stamped into leather. With patience and practice, you can create some very cool tooling designs and even recreate photos in leather with a surprising amount of detail.

Hunting primarily Whitetail deer and wild hogs in Texas, I worked up a few tooling designs centered around them. I still needed a way to actually sell my Cartridge Cuffs.

By this time (2012) FB (I’m not going to type out the full name here as I don’t want the word to be anywhere on my website for SEO reasons, but you know who I’m talking about) had exploded and everyone had an account. FB groups started popping up about all sorts of topics including hunting, fishing, firearms and shooting. Naturally, I joined many of these groups and noticed there was a lot of trading, bartering and selling going on. I posted a few pictures of my Cartridge Cuffs and said I could make them with custom tooling designs. Before long people were messaging me wanting to place orders, and so truly began my leatherworking journey.

During this stage each order was a full-custom job and I didn’t have a set pricing list. After someone told me what they’d like (which could get extravagant very quickly) I would think about it and quote them a price, then just handle payment through PayPal. This type of ordering system didn’t lend itself to scalability or quick turnaround times, but I also wasn’t making a whole lot of Cartridge Cuffs at this time. One or two every few weeks was the norm, which kept me busy enough between classes and gas in my car.

One of the issues I started to realize about each order being fully custom was how to value my own time. Some cuffs were very intricate, with hand-tooled designs in the leather, border stamping, various quantities of cartridge loops and even fully laced edges. Punching all the holes and lacing all the way around a Cartridge Cuff takes quite a bit of time, the problem is that at a certain point, if you place any value on your time at all, that particular cuff should be priced pretty high. At that point it starts to price people out of wanting to buy them, which is one reason there are so few custom leather workers today: it simply isn’t profitable. Not for what you can charge compared to what people are willing to pay.

Between 2012 and 2015 I sold my leather purely through FB, and mostly in the gun groups. In 2016 FB decided to shut all of that down for reasons we won’t get into here, and my primary avenue for earning money from leatherwork dried up. Most of the groups got shut down, and if you got caught selling anything gun related (even just a piece of leather), your post would get flagged almost immediately. I had to find some other way to get my products in front of people.

Lacing the edge of a Cartridge Cuff during the full custom days

Gator print leather scabbard with fully laced edge. I made a few of these but the hours and days of work involved made them extraordinarily expensive.

Graduated College, Day Job Grind

I had graduated from UT Dallas in 2015 with degrees in Finance and Accounting, so I was able to find a decent job and wasn’t beholden to income from my leatherwork, but I enjoyed it and didn’t want to just quit making Cartridge Cuffs and other leather gear. Having a full time job definitely constricted the amount of time I could spend on leather, so I also had to think about what I could make efficiently while providing a lot of value for customers.

At this point I made the call to stop doing hand-tooling and full custom jobs. It just wasn’t efficient and honestly I was losing money any time I took a custom job. If I charged what it was actually worth in terms of time and material, people wouldn’t pay it and the order would get cancelled 9 times out of 10.

Between 2015 and 2016 my leatherworking slowed down substantially when I started working full time as a Financial Analyst for a small telecom company but it was always in the back of my mind and I wanted to find a way to reach more people and produce better work than ever.

My Etsy Shop and Why I Let it Die

In 2015 I opened an Etsy shop to try and present my work to a broader audience. If you aren’t familiar with Etsy, it is an online marketplace where you can open your own shop to sell handmade goods (that is how it started at least). It is sort of like a mini-version of having your own website, without the up-front cost.

Fairly quickly I realized that Etsy was not all it was made out to be. Lots of the items and stores selling them were sourcing and buying goods in bulk from China and re-branding them as “hand-made.” Also, the people I wanted to reach were not really on Etsy. It isn’t exactly the kind of site where people like me (hunters, fishermen, outdoorsmen) frequent, and sales were slow. Also, it was nowhere near as customizable as your very own website and had other drawbacks.

I made some sales there, but I knew I had to do something else, it just wasn’t working, so I let it die.

Handbags: Yes, I Made Purses for a While

Without spending too much time here, yes, I made handbags for about 3 years. Between 2015 and 2018 I delved into leather tote bags and such. I purchased a large industrial sewing machine and spent a lot of money on leather tanned and finished specifically for bags.

I did manage to sell a few bags and other similar items, but it was slow and there is a ton of competition in the bag market, competition with brick and mortar stores and tons of money for marketing and branding. Plus, I didn’t enjoy making the bags and I REALLY didn’t enjoy using the sewing machine. I could run the machine fine, but there was just something soulless about it to me. Hey, we gotta try things to see if we like them right?

Later in 2019 I finally sold that sewing machine (luckily for nearly what I paid for it). I still have several rolls of that handbag leather taking up space in my workshop. When I look at it, it reminds me of not being afraid to try new things and not being afraid to move on when they don’t work out… but I do need to get rid of that leather.

One of my tote handbags

Some of my accessories and wet-molded bags made during 2017-2019

2017: Going to Work in the Defense Industry

In May of 2017 I got a call from a company that I had been applying to for years. Having served in the military, I figured if I was going to have a “day job” it might as well be for a company that supports the troops and helps keep them safe while in harm’s way.

The short version of the story is that I got the job and went to work for an incredible company that develops and produces some of the most amazing technology in the world, technology that gives our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines an advantage on the battlefield and helps them to come home safe.

2018: Mason Leather & Cartridge Cuff Guy

Late in 2018 I finally went for it and built out my own website. I had never built a website before so there was a bit of a learning curve, but I got the hang of it and before long it was looking decent.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, Mason Leather wasn’t always called Mason Leather. Back in the FB days, I called it “Double-Tap Leather,” and even had a cool logo stamp made of a skull inside a spade. Later during my handbag foray I changed the name to “Novoa by Mason,” an artsy-sounding play on my name and my wife’s maiden name. Finally I did what should’ve been done and put my name in it, after all I was the maker. Sometimes we go through a lot of silly ideas until we get to what works… remember the handbags?

Before Mason Leather I decided to revamp my personal instagram into a way to show my leatherwork. I don’t remember how I came up with it, but being that I made Cartridge Cuffs I thought “@cartrdige_cuff_guy” sounded pretty cool, so I went with it. After founding Mason Leather I never did change my Instagram handle, I like it too much!

2019

2019 was Mason Leather’s first full year in operation and it was a great learning experience. I finally had my own website and could show my leatherwork how I wanted. Shipping was made enormously easier because my site order system was tied-in to a shipping postage provider, so I could print domestic or international postage right in my workshop.

Throughout the year, now having an order history I could look at, I started to get a feel for what most people liked and I was able to modify my pieces to provide the best value for customers, with the features they liked.

Also in 2019 I found a new leather provider. Since 2011 I had been using a local supplier (I’ll withhold the name because I don’t have much nice to say about them). They were fine, but I spent a lot of time at their stores sorting through huge piles of leather sides trying to find sides of good enough quality to provide my customers with the best possible pieces. The quality control really was horrible, and I had to find a better source for leather.

Searching online I found Weaver Leather out of Ohio. After some online research it seemed they had a good reputation among makers, so I rolled the dice and placed an order. In the past I had been hesitant to order leather online, I wanted to actually see it first, but I had to take the chance. A few days later a huge box arrived with my first few sides in it. When I opened it and rolled them out on the floor, I was amazed. The flesh side (underside) on each piece was smooth and clean, not nappy as lower quality sides could be. The grain side (top) was clean, consistent and didn’t have random scars, holes or other defects.

I have used Weaver Leather ever since and every single side has been top quality. I’m very pleased to say that Mason Leather customers can expect nothing short of the best leather available, bar none.

2020: Closing & Re-opening; Optimization, Streamlining, Tooling-up

Christmas 2019 was amazing, but very busy. I got more orders than ever before, using Instagram to get the word out as well as having some of my Cartridge Cuffs featured on the Wolf’s Prairie Outdoors YouTube channel.

After the Christmas rush in January 2020, due to some personal reasons, I closed the website to new orders and went on a hiatus. During that time I took a hard look at what people ordered and what I offered and made a few changes to the customization options available. I did this so that when I reopened the process could be smoother and I’d be able to fill orders faster.

I reinvested everything made during 2019 into some new equipment, allowing me to be more productive and provide the best value and service to customers.

The website also got a solid update during this time. I added a photo gallery, FAQ page, updated photographs and even started the Mason Outdoors Blog (where you’re at right now!).

On April 10, 2020 the website was relaunched and the support from both new and returning customers has been incredible. I’m very proud to serve hunters and sportsmen through my leatherwork, and knowing my Cartridge Cuffs, Slings and other gear are on the hunt with hard working, outdoors loving folks means the world to me.

As far as the future goes, I look forward to providing the best quality, best value, handmade in the USA leather gear available.

Coal color Cartridge Cuff circa 2019, this is the current design

What’s Next?
Wow. I did not start this article thinking it would become the entire biography of Mason Leather, but I’m glad I wrote it! Hopefully it has allowed you to get to know me better and how Mason Leather came to be. I look forward to constantly making my products better for you, and getting to provide incredible handmade leather Cartridge Cuffs, Slings and more to hunters and outdoorsmen across the United States and around the world.

Check out Mason Leather’s current product lineup here: SHOP

Happy Hunting!
-Lee Mason

Shotshell Cuff circa 2020, this is the current design

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle.

]]><![CDATA[Traditional Archery: Getting Started (Learn from My Mistakes!)]]>Thu, 07 May 2020 20:40:20 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/traditional-archery-getting-started-learn-from-my-mistakes

By Lee Mason

My Great Northern Field Bow and backyard target setup

Like many archers I actually started with a compound bow. It seems ironic that so many of us start with the latest technology only to choose to revert to technology of years (or even centuries) past. My journey into the incredible world of traditional archery started in 2008 while deployed to Afghanistan.

My buddy was an avid outdoorsman and his family would send him care packages every few weeks. Inside one of those packages was the latest Great Plains Bow Co. catalog. That booklet sat on our makeshift plywood coffee table between our two bunks for weeks until one day I finally picked it up.

Inside were the most beautiful bows I had ever seen. Longbows, recurves, one-piece, take-downs, shorter bows, longer bows… I began daydreaming of shooting one. The “Long-Curve,” model really caught my eye. It featured recurve limbs with a straight longbow-type handle.

The bows were made to order and being deployed with no wife or kids at home meant I had money burning a hole in my pocket (at least at 20 years old that’s how I felt). I placed a call to Great Plains Bow Co. at about 1am (due to the time difference) and spoke to them about what I was looking for. I ordered a custom-built 60-inch Long Curve with bamboo limbs for speed and a 55-pound draw weight. If memory serves it cost about $1,000 and would be waiting at my dad’s house a year later when I got back to the United States.

Do Not Spend $1,000 on Your First Trad-bow

Custom bows are awesome. They’re made of the finest materials, look like works of art and shoot incredibly, once you know what you’re doing. If you are new to traditional archery and pick up an expensive custom bow, you are not going to be able to shoot it any better than a $200 Samick Sage or $75 used recurve you picked up off craigslist.

In the beginning it is probably a better idea to buy a less expensive yet still quality bow and spend the rest of your budget on other necessities that can help you practice more.

Another reason not to spend big bucks on your first bow is that no matter how pretty it is or how great it shoots, at some point another bow will probably catch your eye. This happens to anyone that gets into traditional archery. You have a perfectly fine bow, but that one over there sure looks cool too, and you wonder if you could shoot that one just a little better.

Ask anyone that has shot traditional for more than 5 years if they are still shooting their first bow, no matter how good it was. More often than not they have probably gone through 3, 4, maybe even 10 or more different bows, if for no other reason than wanting to try something different. If you spent less on your first bow, it makes it easier to move on to the next when you’re ready to.

I have shot traditional archery going on 12 years now and I still have my Great Plains Long Curve, but currently I’m shooting a Great Northern Field Bow and honestly like it more. It was less than half the cost of my Long Curve. I think in total I have owned 5 or 6 traditional bows since starting this journey. It is easier to sell a cheaper bow too as the pool of buyers is much larger and anyone willing to spend a lot of money on a trad-bow will get a new custom one of their own rather than your second-hand one (most of the time).

Where to Get Your First Bow on a Budget

The Samick Sage is a great bow by all accounts. It is inexpensive and you can replace the limbs as you gain proficiency, increasing the draw weight with essentially the same bow. You can find them online in many places. If I were to start over this would probably be my first bow.

Craigslist is a great option for finding deals on used bows. I bought a Martin Recurve for $75 once and it shot beautifully after I waxed the string and made sure there were no safety concerns (cracks, frayed string, etc.). If buying a used bow from a private party make sure to thoroughly inspect it for damage, you can always say no to the deal if you’re concerned.

Besides the Samick, there are many more inexpensive “starter” bows becoming available due to the increase in popularity of traditional archery. 3 Rivers or Kustom King archery have great online stores where you can spend as little or as much as you want on a new longbow or recurve. There are many in the $150-$300 range, perfect for a first bow.

Go With a Lighter Draw Weight to Start

My Long Curve had a 55-pound draw weight. I was young and strong and figured I could handle it. For the most part I could, but I was also 6’2” tall and 200-pounds without an ounce of fat, so I had a physical advantage that not everyone has. One drawback to a heavier draw weight is that you get fatigued faster when practicing, so you cannot shoot as many shots.

For a first bow a 40-pound draw weight gives enough power that you can legally hunt with it in many states but it is light enough for a beginner to get the hang of it without undue fatigue. A 40-pound bow also gives enough arrow speed that practicing out to 20 yards isn’t too hard because the arrow doesn’t have as much drop as a lighter weight bow.

My current bow, a Great Northern Field Bow, actually draws at 42-pounds and it is a dream to shoot. Enough speed to hit right where I’m looking but light enough to practice all afternoon.

A bit of a side note, should you decide to sell your bow, a lighter draw weight bow will be easier to sell than a heavy draw weight bow.

A Short Bow is Great, But a Long Bow is Forgiving

Without getting too technical, a longer length bow will be easier to learn to shoot well than a shorter length bow. The main reason for this is that at any given draw-length, the limbs of a longer bow travel less during the draw and during release than the limbs of a shorter bow. That means less room for human error during the shot.

There are people out there that can explain and show this a lot better than I can, but that is the gist of it. After getting a 66-inch longbow at one point I noticed that if I screwed-up my release or didn’t get perfectly to my anchor point before shooting, the effect on my accuracy wasn’t nearly as much as if I had been shooting my 60-inch Long Curve.

If You Plan to Hunt With Your Trad-bow, Use Heavy Arrows

This I learned the hard way. Once I became proficient in shooting my bow, I began hunting with it. During my second or third year hunting with my Long Curve I finally had a shot opportunity on a beautiful 8-point Whitetail buck. The shot was far, paced off afterwards at nearly 35 yards (too far to be shooting a trad-bow at game, but more on that in a future article). I nailed him and he took off.

A very sparse blood trail and lack of finding the arrow led me to believe I had hit him in the shoulder blade and the arrow did not penetrate into the vitals. My dad and I tracked that buck for an entire day and for over a mile, with tiny drops of blood every 20 or even 50 yards. It was an agonizing tracking job. We never recovered the deer and hope he made a full recovery.

Lesson number one here is not to take long shots at game with a trad-bow. Regardless of your setup, the arrow just will not have the energy to penetrate if it hits any bone at all. Lesson number two is to use heavy arrows.

I was using lightweight carbon arrows and 125-grain 2-blade broadheads. I did not know any better at the time, but that’s no excuse. With a trad-bow heavy arrows are your friend. A longbow will never approach the speeds a compound bow can achieve, but it will fling a much heavier arrow almost as fast as it will fling a lighter arrow, and a heavier arrow penetrates better 100% of the time, all else being equal.

Think about this: would you rather get hit with a baseball thrown at 50 mph, or a bowling ball at 25 mph? The baseball will hurt, but the bowling ball is going to break bones or worse.

Carbon arrows are great for durability, just make sure they are heavy if using them with your trad-bow.

Wood arrows have the advantage of being naturally heavy and nostalgic! I have found quality wood arrows to be extremely durable.

Buy LOTS of Arrows, You Wouldn’t Just Buy 12 Rounds for Your 9mm

So I spent $1,000 on my first bow, then was a cheap-ass and only bought a dozen arrows and that’s all I had for the longest time. Silly. The more arrows you have the easier it is to practice, and if some get damaged (they will), you have plenty to keep shooting.

We will have to talk about types of arrows in a future article, but carbons are best for durability while wood arrows are nice and heavy without having to modify them. The cost really isn’t much different between the two, and I have found wood arrows to be surprisingly durable. Personally, I shoot wood arrows built by Joe Callahan at True North Arrows. They are beautiful, heavy and I have yet to break a single one!

Set-up a Good Range, it’ll Save Your Arrows and Your Fence!

Use some of that money you saved by buying a cheaper bow on good targets, several of them. My favorite practice setup is to have four of the big layered foam block targets stacked on each other 2x2. It provides a lot of area to shoot at and if you miss you will probably still hit the target.

Placing a sheet or two of thick OSB plywood against your fence behind your targets is cheap insurance for when you inevitably miss. Even a 40-pound bow will send a heavy arrow straight through standard fence planks (I’ve done it, unfortunately). Having the OSB board will at least provide your fence with some protection and keep your arrows from going where they shouldn’t.

Ready to Get Started?

Hopefully you can take some things away from my experiences and get into traditional archery a bit smoother than I did. There are definitely places to spend more money (arrows, targets) and places to spend less (the bow itself) when getting started, at least in my estimation.

Traditional archery is incredibly fun, there is nothing quite like looking at a target without sights, releasing the string and having that arrow go right where you wanted it to. It takes a lot more practice than many outdoor pursuits, but like anything worth doing it brings a great sense of accomplishment once you start getting the hang of it.

Get yourself a trad-bow and join in the fun!

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle and hunting with a tradbow since 2009

]]><![CDATA[How to Catch Bass on your Lunch Break! Helpful tips from a City Fisherman]]>Wed, 06 May 2020 22:14:11 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/how-to-catch-bass-on-your-lunch-break-helpful-tips-from-a-city-fisherman

By Lee Mason

A Largemouth Bass I caught at a park on Lake Grapevine during my lunch break

Many of us live in the city. It is where the jobs are, where stuff is and for better or worse where we have to be most of the time. If you’re reading this you also love to fish, and like me don’t want to wait until the weekend to do it.

A few years ago I was working in Coppel, Texas, a part of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolis. My job basically mandated we take an hour-long lunch break midday and I started to wonder if instead of sitting in my car after going through the Jimmy John’s drive-thru if I could wet a line in any of the nearby bodies of water and land a bass. I started packing a fishing pole and small tackle box in my trunk.

Where to Fish on your Lunch Break

If you’re driving to work everyday and there are possible fishing spots nearby, chances are you already have a mental list of places to try.

Get on Google Earth or Google Maps and virtually scout these places. See if you can find access points, parking areas, trails, anything to let you know they are viable fishing locations.

This is going to take some trial and error. Unless you have been to these places, you won’t know if you can get access or not. Gates might be closed, they may be on private property, but the hunt is part of the fun!

Where I worked in Coppell, there was a park right down the road that bordered the Trinity river. Canals would branch off the river in several places in and amongst a business park, so that is one spot I tried. Believe it or not, not only did I catch Largemouth Bass in these canals, I also caught White Bass, Perch and even a Catfish, all on a white ⅛-ounce Rooster Tail!

There was also a rainwater catchment pond right across the street from my office building next to a Race Track gas station. It was about 60 yards long and 20 yards wide with moss around the edges. I fished this “pond” many times, parking at the gas station and walking down. Incredibly, I could usually land 20 to 30 perch in less than an hour from this water filled ditch! Occasionally I would also catch a small bass there too.

Business park ponds, city canals, rainwater catchment ditches, these places almost always have bass, perch and sometimes other species in them. Even if you think there is no way a tiny ditch next to a gas station would have fish in it, much less Largemouth Bass, give it a shot! You just might be surprised what you catch.

Map of the area I fished during my lunch breaks. The blue star is where my office was. The red circled area were within a 10-15 minute drive which gave me 30-40 minutes of fishing time. There were closer spots as well.

How to Fish in an Hour or Less

Pack a lunch and eat on the way if you can. A sandwich you can bite while driving or protein bar will work. Hey, to catch these fish you might have to be a little hungry yourself!

This may sound silly, but go take a leak before lunchtime so that you’ve got that extra few minutes during your break. If you’ve got to take a dump, make that happen before too.

You want maximum time on the water, so have a spot picked out beforehand. Head straight there and get to fishing! Cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve. You’d be surprised how many casts you can get in!

Have a small fishing kit ready to go with your rod and reel. I use one of the small, clear tackle boxes to carry extra lures and I always have a pair of needle-nosed pliers for cutting line and unhooking fish.

What Baits to Use to land Bass in the City

Since you will be on a time crunch, artificial lures will be the way to go.

Lures that cause the bass to attack from agitation are key because bass won’t be actively feeding at mid-day. You will need to make them mad to bite your bait.

Large Road Runner jigs allow you to cover water fast and the blade creates a vibration the fish can home-in on. Casting spoons are also a good choice. They can be casted very far and create a disturbance in the water while retrieved that can trigger a strike. My absolute favorite is the Rooster Tail spinner. The blade creates a strong buzz in the water that fish can’t resist wanting to bite. Rattle-Traps are also a good choice.

Try several different lures and even some more traditional bass baits like a Texas rigged worm or spinner bait. You never know what might work.

A White Bass I caught on a Road Runner spinner at California Crossing in Las Colinas

The Right Tackle

Since you won’t have a lot of time to fish, I suggest using a rod and reel that you are familiar with that is simple to operate and won’t cause any issues. The fish you are likely to catch won’t be huge (although they can be), so a medium weight, two-piece spinning setup is perfect.

The time-tested Zebco 33 Combo is perfect for lunch break fishing. It is cheap enough that if it gets damaged in your trunk it isn’t a big deal, and the ultra-reliable push-button reel makes casting and retrieving fast and easy. For line, 8 or 10 pound monofilament works great.

Another great option is any medium or light-medium weight open-face spinning setup with the same 8 or 10 pound monofilament. Spinning reels allow farther casts and are fast on the retrieve so you can cover a lot of water fast. If you want to spend a little more money on your lunch break fishing setup, a Shakespeare Ugly Stick is very durable for trunk storage.

Bait casting rigs are what I would avoid. They are great for pulling big bass from vegetation in lakes but they really are overkill for most scenarios. They are also more expensive, so you may not want to leave them in your trunk. Also, unless you practice with them they can be very hard to cast, burning valuable fishing time.

Go Catch Some Fish!

It is definitely possible to land bass and other fish while on a one hour lunch break, you just have to strategize a bit to do it. Find some spots, have the tackle ready to go in your car or truck and try new spots every day until you find what works and where.

When I was doing this I would get back to the office and my coworkers always wondered where I went, so I started showing them pictures of the fish I’d caught on my cell phone and they couldn’t believe it!

You can do this too! Before heading to work next week, pack a pole and brainstorm a few spots to try out, you never know what you might catch!

A small Channel Catfish I caught on a Rooster Tail spinner in the Trinity River when the bank was flooded

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle, but fishing since he could stand

]]><![CDATA[10 Helpful Tips for Hunting Hogs on Texas Wildlife Management Areas]]>Wed, 06 May 2020 21:52:04 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/10-helpful-tips-for-hunting-hogs-on-texas-wildlife-management-areas

By Lee Mason

3 Hogs I bagged at an east Texas Wildlife Management Area

If you haven’t read my previous post titled “Hog Hunting Texas Public Land: Access, where and when to hunt, restrictions,” definitely check that out first before reading this article. Then come back and check out 10 helpful tips for hunting hogs on Texas public land!

Let’s get right into it. You want to successfully hunt hogs on Texas public land. Maybe it is your first time, maybe you just haven’t had much luck, maybe every time you go you wind up with soaked feet because there is two inches of water on the ground. Regardless, here are 10 tips for success hunting hogs on Texas public land:

1 - Check the Weather

Hunting in the rain can be a fun and different experience. I love to stalk whitetail deer with my longbow on drizzly days because it wets the leaves on the forest floor and you can move much more quietly. Hunting hogs in the rain can be a lot of fun too, but on many east Texas WMAs like Old Sabine Bottom, Big Lake Bottom, Richland Creek and others rain can quickly bring flood conditions. Many WMAs are in low-lying areas, often bordering lakes or rivers, and although a few inches of rain doesn’t seem like much it is often enough to make access to public hunting lands difficult or impossible. Some east Texas WMAs have a more varied landscape and are often huntable despite the rain, but my favorite hog haunts are all lower lying and prone to flood.

In short, check the weather and monitor flood conditions so you don’t get out to your hunting spot to find the road washed out or the forest under a foot of water.

2 - Bring Waterproof Boots, Even if it hasn’t Rained

A good pair of boots is a blessed thing. Keeping your feet dry and comfortable can be the difference between an enjoyable hunt and a horrible experience. Piggy-backing off the first tip, the best hog WMAs are often low-lying, so even if it hasn’t rained the terrain usually still has lots of water. Crossing sloughs and boggy areas in search of pigs will be a necessity, so waterproof boots are a must.

My favorite kind of boots for this are any of the 9-inch high variety with a waterproof membrane. They can be standard leather boots so long as they are waterproof or at least water resistant. You can usually cross a small creek or bog in a shallow spot quickly, so knee-high rubber or neoprene boots usually aren’t necessary. I got my personal hunting boots at Academy Sports for about $59 and they work great, you don’t have to break the bank.

If there has been some rain, or you just want to be better prepared, take a pair of knee-high rubber or neoprene waterproof boots with you just in case. These boots aren’t as comfortable so I only wear them when necessary, but having them can save a hunt. I always have them just in case.

These boots had a waterproof Gore-tex membrane that helped keep my feet dry when trudging through mud, puddles and shallow crossings.

3 - Be Ready to Walk

Wild hogs are nomadic. They don’t usually have home ranges like whitetail deer do although the bigger, older boars sometimes do set-up shop in a particular area. Hogs go where the food is. Once they clean an area out they move on and don’t look back, which is why stand hunting can be a bore unless you know for sure you are on an active food source. If hunting a new WMA, or a WMA you don’t hunt very often, there isn’t really a way to know what food sources are active and drawing hogs, so the best way to find them I have found is to walk.

My technique is to pick a terrain feature, a creek, or just an existing trail and stalk along it slowly but deliberately. Don’t move too fast because you will be noisy and the pigs will spook before you see them, but don’t move so slow that you can’t cover some ground. I have walked for miles and suddenly jumped a boar hours into a hunt. Had I not covered that distance I wouldn’t have ever found him. Speed versus quietness is a balancing act that takes some experience and is heavily dependent on the particular terrain.

Don’t get me wrong, stand hunting can also work, but you must be familiar with the area. I have successfully taken several hogs on several different hunts on my favorite WMA from one stand site. It is near a grove of large oak trees with active travel routes nearby, near a shift in terrain, less than 300 yards from the parking lot! The only reason I have been able to do this is by getting familiar with the area and putting in the time to scout. With time and effort you are sure to find potential stand sites as well.

4 - Pack Light, but have what you need

With walking being a common theme to successfully hunt hogs on Texas WMAs, packing light makes sense. Ounces turn to pounds and pounds turn to pain, so less can be more. Over the years I have trimmed down what I take with me in the woods to a few essentials. This keeps me light and able to move freely and easily. Remember, if you kill a hog you will suddenly have a lot more weight to haul!

Here is exactly what I take with me:

Cell Phone (for emergencies or pictures).
Clothing appropriate for the weather. I dress in layers and stay a little light because I’m usually moving, which can heat you up quick. Layers let you take something off if you get warm.
Appropriate Boots
Orange vest or shirt and orange hat/beanie, required during gun seasons on WMAs.
Compass
Buck 110 folding knife (razor sharp) in a belt sheath. One good knife will be enough to gut and quarter a hog. I keep a few more knives in the car for prepping the pig for the cooler.
A few folded paper towels (for when nature calls).
A few cough drops. I pop one in when putting the stalk on hogs so I don’t get an itch in my throat and cough! Trust me, it happens.
One 20-ounce bottle of water.
10-foot length of rope (for dragging).
Rifle or shotgun, loaded, with extra shells in a Cartridge Cuff.

All that can actually be kept on my person, especially if I’m wearing a vest with pockets I can put the water bottle in. I can carry the rope on my belt. If I won’t be out of the woods for lunch I also carry a small satchel with food in it, or just stick a protein bar and some mixed nuts in my vest. I also down two or three bottles of water before stepping off to ensure I’m hydrated. The one bottle of water carried is just a back-up.

I like to pack light to cover ground quickly and quietly. Rope and knife on my belt, snacks and a bottle of water are in my vest, rifle in-hand. Everything I need without a bulky pack!

5 - Try to Hunt Weekdays

If at all possible try and hunt weekdays rather than weekends. Public hunting land is just that, public, and the most hunting pressure occurs on Saturday and Sunday for obvious reasons. Hunting weekdays will give you the run of the place. You can usually hunt anywhere with few if any other hunters around. We all have jobs and most of us, myself included, typically only have the weekends to hunt, fish and do whatever else we’d like to in the outdoors, but if you can get out during the week it is worth it

Weekends are by no means off limits. I have shown up on a Saturday morning to a WMA in January or February with no one else in sight. Extra cold weather will also keep a lot of folks indoors and away from the woods.

6 - Hunt Near the Entry Points

Going in deep isn’t always necessary, or desirable. Imagine killing a 225-pound boar 3 miles deep in the woods. Now you have to get that sucker out somehow. I know because I have done that not once, but a few times. It kind of sucks.

A lot of hunters think they have to get way-off the beaten path, miles from the road or parking area in order to have a chance at killing game. Are there pigs deep in the woods? Absolutely. Are there pigs twenty feet from where you parked at night when you aren’t there? Yes indeed. Getting away from other hunters doesn’t always mean trekking far into the woods. Think about it, if everyone is way back in there, then there’s nobody within a quarter-mile radius of the entry point. The pigs don’t care that that’s the entry point, they care about food, water and cover. If all those things are near the parking lot, go hunt there. You might kill a pig.

7 - Carry a Lightweight, Comfortable Rifle

This goes back to tip #4, but deserves its own section. Bolt action rifles with big scopes and magnum cartridges seem to be the standard nowadays but they can be heavy and awkward to carry long distances (or short distances for that matter). Such rifles are more suited for stand hunting in more open terrain than where you’re likely to find wild hogs on Texas public land.

My go-to hog rifles are all lever action 30-30s, although I am putting together a purpose-built pump-action Remington 7600 Patrol .308 just for hog hunting. I have killed more hogs with an iron sighted Winchester 94 30-30 than any other rifle and it is a dream to carry in the woods. At 6 ½ pounds it is a feather compared to most bolt actions. The receiver fits in your hand like it was meant to be there. No scope keeps the weight and bulk down, plus ranges are almost always short. My farthest shot on a hog on a WMA has been about 40 yards. The 30-30 cartridge is powerful enough for hogs of normal size, they don’t take up much space and a Winchester, Marlin or Henry lever action will hold 6 of them in the tube magazine (plus 5 more on the buttstock in a Cartridge Cuff).

You don’t have to carry a lever action 30-30, but a lightweight rifle of any kind is easier to tote than a heavy rifle meant for the range or box blind.

Lightweight rifles help when covering ground. My favorite hog rifle is this 6 1/2 pound Winchester 94 30-30. Open sights work fine, shots are usually short and fast.

8 - Listen, hogs are noisy

While walking quietly through the woods looking for pigs, keep your ears open too. Often you will hear hogs before you see them, then you can put the stalk on them while still a ways away. When feeding, hogs play around and fight with each other, especially if the group consists of younger pigs. They also crunch acorns loudly and rustle leaves and vegetation due to their shear numbers. A group of 10 or 20 pigs (not uncommon) can sound like a circus.

Larger, older boars will usually be solitary and a lot less vocal unless fighting with another boar for breeding rights. A successful hog hunter will use all their senses.

9 - Try new areas

There are many WMAs sprinkled throughout east Texas and each has its own character. I have found certain ones a lot more to my liking than others, even if I have to drive farther to get there. Also, trying out new hunting spots keeps it fresh and interesting, you never know what you might find.

10 - Keep trying

Success at anything takes effort. We all strike out sometimes and with hunting we are going to strike out more often than not. Enjoy the experience, take in the outdoors, breath in the cold air on a late winter morning. Take pleasure in the process, not just the finish line.

It took me quite a while to bag a hog on a Texas Wildlife Management Area and at first I got frustrated, but I kept at it and before long I was surrounded by a group of pigs along the bank of the Sabine River. That day I bagged 4 hogs with my 30-30 and suddenly had my work cut out for me. Before long you too will have a piney woods rooter in your sights and wild pork in the smoker!

Bonus - Take a Kid Hunting!

If you have a son or daughter, or know a kid that might love the opportunity to explore the outdoors and go on a hunt, extend the offer and see if they’d like to go hunting. It is an experience they (and you) will never forget and may plant the seed that grows into a lifelong hunter.

Thank you for reading! I hope that these 10 tips will help you get started hunting hogs on Texas WMAs! I’d love to hear if you have success: shoot me an email at lee@masonleather.com and let me know about your hunt!

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle.

]]><![CDATA[Big Baits for Big Catfish: 5 Great Spots to Catch Big Live Bait and How to Catch It]]>Tue, 05 May 2020 14:59:38 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/big-baits-for-big-catfish-5-great-spots-to-catch-big-live-bait-and-how-to-catch-it

By Lee Mason

A big blue catfish I caught in the Trinity River using palm-sized live sunfish as bait

Have you ever heard that to catch big fish you need big bait? I’m pretty sure we all have, but for one reason or another we usually don’t heed that advice and continue using the same baits we always have and keep getting the same results: average size fish with the occasional lunker. Big catfish are one of the best examples of this. Before switching to catching my own large live bait, I caught the same old 2 to 5 pound channel catfish we all do.

A buddy of mine, who was an adept flathead catfisherman, invited me to go after flathead catfish in the nearby Trinity river with him. The deal was that I had to provide the bait (it had to be BIG and LIVE) and he would take me to one of his secret spots. The hunt was on.

Perch fishing (meaning bluegill, sunfish, any of the myriad species we in the south call “perch”) was something I was great at. I knew several spots close to home where I could quickly fill a 5-gallon aerated bucket full of the feisty fish. We were going for flatheads at night, so starting that morning I loaded my car with what I needed and set off to catch some big live bait. Here’s how it worked out:

1. Neighborhood Ponds are Usually Stocked with Perch

The first stop on my list was a little neighborhood pond a few miles from my house. It probably isn’t more than a half-acre in size, but it is loaded with hungry bluegill and sunfish.

This pond had a large dock where people feed ducks, that is where I started. The perch are attracted to the bread and other goodies people throw to the ducks. Using a plain shank #6 hook, a single small split shot and a tiny piece of bacon for bait, I tossed it out and waited. About two seconds passed before I had a fat sunfish on the line! After 15 minutes I had half a dozen palm sized perch in my bucket.

Besides bacon, tiny marabou jigs or curly tail grubs also work great for pond bait fishing.

Not wanting to deplete the bait population in such a small pond, I moved on to try another spot.

2. Local Creeks can be Loaded with Bait Fish

There was a creek that ran through a nature park less than a mile from my house and I knew it had a lot of fish in it. I had actually caught some decent Largemouth Bass in it as well as smaller channel catfish, but I was after its plentiful perch population.

The water in small creeks is often clear, so I used a lightweight spinning rod and reel spooled with 4-pound translucent mono-filament line. For bait I used a 1/16-ounce white Road Runner jig. Road Runner jigs are great for perch in flowing water because they have a blade that vibrates as you retrieve it causing vibrations the fish can sense even in the current.

Tossing the lure across the creek, I retrieved it past some fallen brush and WHAM! It was an 8-inch long Warmouth. Warmouths look like a cross between a Largemouth Bass and a Bluegill. They fight extremely hard for their size and make great bait for big catfish.

Pretty soon I had a mix of Warmouth, Bluegill and Sunfish added to my bucket.

A perch caught on a Rooster Tail in a neighborhood creek

3. Park Lakes, Especially if Flooded, can Yield Surprising Baitfish

By now I had plenty of bait for the fishing later that night, so I will tell you about some other great bait spots I found on subsequent trips.

City parks often have man-made lakes in them. These lakes are almost always stocked with fish to help make them a healthy ecosystem. You can read about how the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department maintains a stocking program here: TPWD Stocking Report

During one bait catching outing after a good rain, I noticed the lake in a local city park was slightly flooded with water submerging the vegetation around its banks. Baitfish move into this flooded vegetation to feed on the bugs and plant matter now available to them. I parked and got a bucket and casting net out of my trunk.

Throwing the cast net over the flooded plants, right at waters’ edge quickly landed me a pile of small shad. I released those back into the water and kept throwing, moving down the bank after each toss. Soon I had several large shad and a few small carp that would be perfect for big catfish bait.

I put the shad in a ziploc bag and on ice to use as cut bait since shad don’t stay alive well even in an aerated bucket. The small carp on the other hand are very hardy fish and I kept them alive easily.

4. Golf Course Ponds have TONS of Fish, Ask for Permission

How many times have you driven by a golf course and looked at all the ponds in them thinking “I wonder if there’s fish in there?” Well, there usually are. Tons of them.

Golf courses don’t let you wander around fishing because that will disrupt play. I have been successful in getting permission to fish in golf course ponds by going into the club house and asking if early in the morning before the course opens to golfing if I can throw a net a few times to try and get some bait. The worst they can say is no, and once in a while they will be cool with it.

If you get permission, these ponds are usually loaded with fish. Throw a casting net or a small jig near any submerged vegetation you see and you will usually land something.

5. Spillways are Great Places to Throw a Casting Net

There is usually access to the base of reservoir dams to allow the public fishing opportunities and these spots are often very popular for fishing for everything from bait to monster catfish to spawning sand bass.

Try and find anywhere along the bank below a spillway or dam that is different from the rest: a creek arm coming into the river, a brush pile, rip rap, heck, even a dumped refrigerator. Throw your cast net there and see what you catch. These areas below spillways are best for shad, which while nearly impossible to keep alive, make great cut bait for big catfish, especially channel or blue cats.

Creek arm offshoots from the main river are my favorite. Walk down the creek a ways and find a deeper pool and throw your net. I have found spots like this to be LOADED with shad, catching hundreds with a single throw of the net.

The first spot we fished in south Dallas. The aerated bait bucket seen is vital for keeping perch alive.

You’ve Caught Your Bait! Now go get those BIG Catfish!

The best part about catching your own live bait to go after bigger fish is that the entire process is fishing! Not only do you now have the bait you need to go after pole-bending catfish, but you just got to spend time wetting a line or throwing a net in the process!

Now back to the story: After successfully catching plenty of sunfish, bluegill to keep our hooks baited with the fresh, enticing bait flathead catfish love, I met my buddy at one of his secret spots in south Dallas. The Trinity river snakes through Dallas/Fort Worth in 3 branches, the West Fork, the East Fork and the Clear Fork. Near downtown two of those branches converge and we’d be fishing downstream of that.

We hiked back to the river as the sun started to dip. We set-up on a sandy knoll overlooking the river and baited two rods each with palm-sized sunfish and casted out. After a few false alarms and a few baits getting chewed-up by gar, one of my rods doubled over and the drag began screaming. The fight was on and soon thereafter we had a fat 14 pound blue catfish in the net! Blue catfish also love big live baits, so it wasn’t a surprise to catch one even while targeting flatheads.

We did wind up catching a few smaller 5 to 10 pound flatheads that night, but the giants eluded us. I didn’t care. It had been a great time and now I knew how to target the big boys. I couldn’t wait to do it again!

My first bigger catfish caught on big live bait. This 14 pound blue cat slammed a huge perch. Yes I'm drenched in sweat, Texas nights are hot in the summer!

Even small Flathead catfish love big live baits. This little Flathead bit a perch so big it barely fit in its mouth! You will still catch smaller catfish on big baits, but you won't catch BIG catfish on small baits!

Another big blue cat I caught on live perch. This 22 pound blue was caught in Lake Lavon from the bank at night during freezing rain in winter. Live bait works great in cold weather!

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle and fishing since he could stand

]]><![CDATA[Arizona Mountain Lion Hunting with a Lever Action Rifle]]>Tue, 05 May 2020 13:54:57 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/arizona-mountain-lion-hunting-with-a-lever-action-rifle

"Levers and Lions" by The Lever Action Hunter

Clint a.k.a. The Lever Action Hunter in Arizona lion country

This past March I was able to fulfill a dream of mine and go on a mountain lion hunt with hounds! It had been postponed from the previous season due to a broken leg injury that I had suffered. I knew the hunt would be physically demanding so I made sure that I was fully rehabilitated before setting off to chase a pack of hounds.

I would be hunting with Tim Rawlings from Old West Outfitters and Guides. Tim is a full service guide and outfitter that hunts all big game species found in the Western United States. However, his true passion is hunting mountain lions with hounds. He has been breeding and raising this strain of hound for close to 30 years. They are bred to hunt dry ground and are tough as nails! They are mostly Redbones with a few Redticks, Blueticks, Plotts, and maybe a Walker or two mixed in. It was pretty amazing to watch the pecking order that these dogs had established at feeding time each evening. I was very impressed with the handle that Tim had on his dogs and how well they worked together as a team.

Old West Outfitters pack of mountain lion hunting hounds

The hunt would take place in Northern Arizona near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were hunting the Kaibab National Forest which is a very unique habitat unlike any other part of the United States. It is bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon and to the North by the dessert scrub brush that is along the Utah border.

We stayed in the Marble Canyon Lodge near Neal’s Ferry. It was a tiny community that contained a gas station, small post office, and the lodge where we stayed. The first day we arrived it was snowing and conditions were looking perfect for finding a big tom track! The next morning we set out with high hopes and about 2-4 inches of fresh powder on the ground.

I had a hard time deciding on which lever gun to accompany me on this trip so I took three of my favorite rifles to “sub out” each day. The roster consisted of a Marlin 1894 CB in 44 magnum, a Winchester Model 1894 30-30 made in 1977, and my Uncle Herman’s trusty Winchester Model 1894 30-30 made in 1962.

Clint's lever action lineup: Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum and two Winchester 94 30-30 rifles

We hunted hard the first day and saw some absolutely stunning country. About mid morning as we were going up a mountain we slid off of the road and had to spend about 2 hours winching and digging out the truck. A rough start to a 6 day hunt for sure. We were unable to locate a fresh lion track in the snow and had to call it quits around dark and head back to feed the dogs and eat supper.

The next morning the weather started to warm up and the snow began to quickly melt. We were able to locate a decent sized lion track along the rim of the Grand Canyon but chose not to turn loose because of the danger that the situation presented to us and the hounds.

I managed to take some epic pictures of the Grand Canyon and my Uncle Herman’s Winchester 94.

A little known fact about mountain lions is that they hunt mostly in the darkness of night. Unfortunately when the ground thaws during the day and then freezes at night they don’t leave much of a track to follow.

That evening while eating supper at the lodge Tim and our co-guide “Egan,” decided that we needed to relocate to another part of the state to try and change our luck. The next morning we headed out at 4 am and drove south for about five hours to Globe, AZ. We would be hunting the Tonto National Forest in the famed Gila County.
We left out early the next morning well before sunrise. As we began to slowly drive the dirt roads to cut a track I began to notice how different this part of the state was from the Grand Canyon. It was lower in elevation and seemed to contain more desert like plants, shrubs, and trees.

Earlier in the week, this area had received some very heavy rainfall and all of the creeks and draws were flowing with water. It was beginning to “green up” and you could definitely tell that Spring was just around the corner.

About mid-morning Egan and I spotted a nice lion track in the soft mud along a ravine. We radioed Tim and asked him to come and take a look. Tim thought the track was fresh enough to run so we collared the dogs and turned them loose. They instantly opened up on the track and ran it for what seemed like 3-4 hours. As they trailed the track up on the rocky ridges it became harder to follow and our excitement began to fade.

We finally called off the dogs and made our way to the truck so we could have a bite to eat for lunch. We decided to check out the other side of the mountain in hopes of finding a fresher track of the Tom. As we topped the hill and came upon a “bowl,” we jumped a small group of Coues deer and a covey of Gambel’s quail. Something that I definitely don’t see everyday! We ended up finding a nice spring at the end of a canyon drainage and put together a game plan to hunt it in the morning.

The next morning we loaded up our packs and water bladders and set out from the spring up the canyon to see if we could jump the lion. The dogs opened up and ran a track almost instantly. However, just like the day before the track turned cold and the dogs struggled to work it out. We hiked up to the top of the mountain and took some great scenic shots of the beautiful sprawling countryside.

Even though the hunt ended with no lion I still considered it a huge success. I was able to see some beautiful country, hang out with a couple of great guys, and see some fine hounds work. I will definitely be back in the future with a lever gun in my hands.

The Kaibab National Forest near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the first hunting spot:

The Tonto National Forest, just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, was the second mountain lion hunting location:

Check out more from The Lever Action Hunter here:
The Lever Action Hunter

]]><![CDATA[Hog Hunting Texas Public Land: Access, where and when to hunt, restrictions]]>Mon, 04 May 2020 00:05:48 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/hog-hunting-texas-public-land-access-where-and-when-to-hunt-restrictions

By Lee Mason

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Public Hunting Lands Map Booklet

Hog hunting has exploded in popularity over the last decade, due in no small part to the explosion of the wild hog population. The state of Texas is ground-zero for feral hogs and hog hunting opportunities. Despite the overwhelming majority of the state being privately owned, public hunting opportunities do exist and hog hunting on Texas public land can be a great weekend jaunt or epic adventure!

Gaining Access to Texas Public Hunting Land

Depending where you get your numbers, Texas is between 95% and 98% privately owned. Lucky for us Texas is huge and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has done an outstanding job working with private landowners to lease properties for public hunting access as well as creating state-run wildlife management areas (WMAs). All told, there are over 1,000,000 (yep, one-million!) acres of public hunting land in Texas! Gaining access is also surprisingly easy.

Step 1: You have to have a valid hunting license. If you are a Texas resident born after September 2, 1971 you have to take a hunter’s safety course before you can get your hunting license. It is a one-time class that covers you for the rest of your life. Once you have your hunter’s safety certification, you can buy a hunting license at almost any sporting goods store.

Step 2: You must purchase an Annual Public Hunting (APH) permit. As of this writing an APH costs $48 and, just like your Texas hunting and fishing license, is good between September 1st and August 31st of any given year. Texas hunting and fishing licenses must be renewed each year after August 31st regardless of when you purchased the license. You can purchase the APH with your license at the same locations. You can also purchase the APH by itself if you already have your hunting license.

A few weeks after you buy your APH the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will send you a map book in the mail showing all of the properties and WMAs now available to you! It really is that easy. If you are chomping to get out and hog hunt before the book arrives, you can also access it online here: TPWD APH Information

Where to Hunt

You have your Texas hunting license, APH permit, and are starting to look through your Texas Public Hunting Lands map book… so, where should you go? This is where I can help save you a lot of time. Learn from my mistakes and benefit from my scouting, because I’m just going to give it to you. If you’ve read this far you deserve some honest tips on what WMAs hold hogs and what WMAs don’t, because even if I give it to you, it still takes a lot of work to kill a wild hog on Texas public land, but it is a ton of fun!

Big boar hog I bagged at Richland Creek WMA

WMAs where I have had success

Old Sabine Bottom WMA: Old Sabine Bottom (OSB), near Lindale, Texas, is one of my favorite places to hunt wild hogs. At over 5,000 acres it is large enough that you can get away from other hunters. OSB is mostly river-bottom habitat, heavily forested with sloughs and creek beds that usually contain water with the northern boundary of the WMA being the Sabine river. There are a lot of hogs here but due to the WMA being much longer east-to-west than north-to-south, finding them can take some walking (that is going to be key on most of these WMAs). The one drawback to Old Sabine Bottom is that it floods very easily, which drives the wildlife to surrounding higher elevations on private land. You can check if it is flooded by visiting their facebook page here: OSB Facebook Page Old Sabine Bottom is actually where I killed my very first wild hogs (I bagged 4 at one time) using my dad’s trusty Winchester 94 30-30 back in 2005.

Richland Creek WMA: Similar to Old Sabine Bottom, Richland Creek WMA is primarily bottom land along the Trinity river below Richland Chambers Reservoir, east of Corsicana, Texas. It is heavily forested with numerous sloughs and boggy areas and at over 9,000 acres provides room to roam. Access is along a main road on the northern end of the WMA, from there you have to walk-in, but this place has lots of trails and natural gas line cuts, so you can get pretty far in if you’re willing to walk. My favorite thing about this WMA is all the palmetto plants, it looks like you’re in a South Carolina swamp! Check the weather before going because this WMA is also prone to flooding, but not as bad as Old Sabine Bottom. Also, there are a LOT of snakes here. I was hunting along one of the creeks and nearly stepped on a snake with each step. I killed one of my largest boars at Richland Creek WMA, with the same Winchester 94 30-30 as mentioned previously.

Pat Mayse WMA: Near Paris, Texas, Pat Mayse WMA isn’t quite as boggy and slough filled as Old Sabine Bottom or Richland Creek. It is roughly 5,000 acres on the western side of Pat Mayse lake and consists mostly of forest. I have not hunted this WMA as much as the others, but it is where I killed my first large hog, again with my dad’s Winchester 94 30-30. You can camp on the lake at nearby Pat Mayse State Park. Also, the Red River is a short drive away and offers good catfish fishing once you’ve got a wild hog on ice!
There are a lot more WMAs available through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Public Hunting program with a common factor being that they are concentrated in eastern Texas with few WMAs offering wild hog hunting west of I-35. I have not been to them all but am willing to bet a good chunk of them have decent populations of wild hogs, after all it seems they are everywhere!

When to Hunt

On private land in Texas there is no season for wild hog hunting and although some WMAs are open year-round to hog hunting, most have seasons. If deer hunting is available on the WMA, wild hogs can generally be hunted concurrently. Many WMAs have late winter and spring seasons for wild hogs running from January through May. You will have to check the map booklet or TPWD’s website for season openings because each WMA has unique seasons. Generally, I have found the best time to hunt wild hogs on Texas public land to be January through March. The weather is still cold and hogs will not have as many ticks, plus vegetation is much less dense giving you much greater visibility in the woods. If hunting April through May, pay attention to the weather as heavy rains can flood WMAs and the increasing temperature can make hunting for wild hogs a bit less enjoyable.

How to Hunt Hogs on Texas Public Land

Truly to each their own on this one. You can set tree stands along likely travel routes and wait out the hogs. You can still hunt and hope to cross paths with a wily rooter, or you can do what I have done: walk around, look and listen for them. I will usually take a look at Google Earth and find a creek bed or terrain feature that looks interesting, then slowly stalk along it looking and listening for wild hogs. Wild hogs make a lot of noise when feeding, so keep your ears open and you may hear them from a long ways off, then just head towards them. Keep the wind in mind and move slowly, sooner or later you will bump into pigs if you put in the effort.

Common Restrictions and Amenities

Each Texas WMA is unique although many share similar rules and have similar restrictions. Always check with TPWD to ensure you are within regulations for a particular WMA. Here are some of the more common restrictions I have seen:

You must have an APH permit and hunting license to hunt.
All state game laws apply.
You must wear at least 400 square inches of hunter orange if hunting with firearms is allowed.
On-site registration is often required (it is easy, you fill out a card and drop it in a box).
Weapons restrictions may exist. Some WMAs are archery only, some allow only shotguns, some allow all legal weapons. Check this before leaving the house or you may have driven a long way to find out you cannot hunt with the rifle you brought.
Designated campsites are usually available.
Generally no baiting and no use of dogs is allowed to hunt wild hogs. A few do allow baiting and/or use of dogs.
No bag limit on wild hogs. ATV use may be restricted or banned.

You’re Ready to Hunt!

There you have it! How to get access to Texas’ public hunting land, where, when and how to hunt hogs on Texas public land and a primer on some of the restrictions. In no way do I want to make hog hunting on Texas public land sound easy, because usually it isn’t. You usually can’t bait and there are no ready-made stands for you to park your butt in and wait. You will have to get out there and put in the work, but I have killed many hogs on several different WMAs (not just those I listed earlier) so you can too. Go get those hogs!

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle.

]]><![CDATA[A Classic Winchester 1894 38-55]]>Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:09:18 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/winchester-model-of-1894-38-55

Winchester Model of 1894 38-55 by Wayne Hayes

Winchester 1894 38-55

The store opened at 7:00 a.m. just like every morning. Chickasha Oklahoma was not a very busy place in 1952. The old man who ran the hardware store didn't really expect any customers to speak of this early, just the usual coffee drinking crowd of locals. When the young man walked in a few minutes after that it was a surprise.

Lean youngster that he was, he had the look of an oilfield hand. Levi's were pressed and his shirt was ironed from what he could see under his winter coat. The owner had never seen him around before. "Can I help you?" He said from the back of the store, where he was pouring a cup of coffee from the old pot on the stove.  "I could sure use a cup of that if you had an extra?"  The old man grinned, the Oklahoma winter was biting.   "Cups are right there, help yourself." The old man indicated a shelf holding ceramic mugs. The old man being mischievous then said "I am afraid I don't serve a full breakfast." The young man smiled and laughed a bit at the comment, "This coffee will do fine thank you. I am really just passing through and meeting a guy in town about a job, saw you were open and thought I might kill a few minutes. The coffee is good and the company seems friendly enough." The old man nodded his head with a smile and stuck out his hand. "Charlie Spencer."  The young man took the offered hand and answered "Deany Hayes."  "Well help yourself to the coffee young feller, I got to finish my opening chores. Feel free to look around."  With a nod Mr. Spencer went back to his routine.
Deany always loved hardware stores. Tools, knives, guns, and everything else you might need. He looked along the wall as Mr. Spencer was unlocking the long bar that went across the gun rack to hold them in place. He noticed one in particular, a long barreled lever gun, straight out of a John Wayne movie. He sat his cup down on the wooden plank table and moved toward the rack. He gave a "do you mind" look to the old man and it was returned with a nod acknowledging it was alright to pick it up.
Winchester model 1894 Made in New Haven Connecticut caliber 38-55 Winchester. Full length octagonal rifle barrel, metal butt plate, and full buck-horn sight. It felt like holding an old friend, pointed natural and the lever action was smooth as glass. The small paper tag hanging on the lever had $175.00 scribbled on it in grease pencil. Considerable sum of money in 1952.
"Lady traded me that for a potbelly stove. Husband died and they didn't have any sons, said she didn't need it anymore. I don't think she needed the stove either just wanted to get rid of the gun." The young man continued to look it over after looking up when he was spoken too. The stock was tight, the bluing was in good shape and all the screws were pristine (scarred up screws meant an amateur gunsmith had possibly been tinkering with it). He carefully placed the gun back down. He didn't really need to spend that much and besides you couldn't even hunt deer in Oklahoma with a rifle if you could find one.
Soon enough he thanked to the old man and went out the door.  Mr. Spencer, however had a suspicion he would see the lean Mr. Deany Hayes again.
It took about two weeks. Again when the store was opening the young man walked in. "My coffee isn't that good son, you should try down the street at the cafe and you can even eat." Deany laughed and spoke, "Well it is a pretty good cup Mr. Spencer but that ain't why I came back." Mr. Spencer grinned and pointed to the gun rack that was already open "Yeah she is still up there."  "How'd you know?" Mr. Spencer put down the rag he was dusting with. "Young feller' I have been in business for over 25 years, I can tell when a man has a case of the wants, but he also has a case of the why's. My guess is you went out and made enough extra money to buy that rifle. Now am I right or am I full of beans?" Deany gave a sheepish looked and said "Guilty as charged, took on some extra welding at the job site and made the extra money. Do you have bullets for it?" The old man looked below the gun rack and laid out five twenty round boxes. "100 rounds ought to give you enough to play with and have some left over to actually use." He then walked over to the gun rack and brought the old beauty over and laid it on the counter next to the ammunition.
"What's the damage?" was all the young man said. Mr. Spencer had him cold, that was exactly what he was going to buy right down to the bullets. "Well, lets' see here.  1894 Winchester 38-55 of no use in this state to shoot anything but coyotes, 100 rounds that will probably be wasted on beer cans. $175.00  price tag on the gun...." his voice trailed off as he was making out the receipt. "Young man that will be $165.00 cash please."
Mr. Spencer liked the look of the young man and obviously any man who could make that kind of money in a two week span was a hard worker. He was in the business to make money, but he had less than $100.00 in the rifle. It had been on his shelf for over two years and not so much as a nibble. It was illegal to hunt deer even if you could find one in Oklahoma with a rifle. The ammunition was too expensive to shoot at coyotes and jackrabbits. The young man had romantic notions of the rifle he could tell.
Deany was caught off guard, "How did you figure that?"  "With a pencil young feller', you watched me do it, now is that too low?" Deany, realizing he had almost offended the gentleman counted out the $165.00. Truth be told he hadn't offended anything, the old man also liked to see the look of surprise on the faces of people. He reached under the counter and brought up an old canvas gun scabbard. They shook hands and the young man left the store.
Winchester Model of 1894. Full length rifle. Caliber 38-55 Winchester. 38 caliber bullet with 55 grains of powder pushing a 255 grain bullet to a speed of almost 1600 f.p.s. (feet per second), pretty hot stuff in the late 1800's. A closer investigation of this particular rifle if the young man would have had any inkling would have revealed it was manufactured in New Haven Connecticut in the year 1896. It would not be until many years later when the young man was no longer a young man when this information would come to the surface.

38-55 Winchester Cartridge

The man had a great nephew and he had heard stories growing up of this famed rifle. How they had hunted deer with it. How good it shot, but he had never laid eyes on it. The man lived far away and only came back home during the summer or holiday's. In 2008 however, the man was speaking of this rifle again. The nephew who at this time had been a police officer for over a decade, along with being a police sharpshooter finally had the nerve to say "I have heard about this rifle all my life, I would love to lay my hands on it one time." The old man looked up at his nephew possibly with the same look Mr. Spencer gave him over sixty years ago. "Do you want that gun?" came the question. The nephew being cut from the same cloth as the old man and sharing the same last name stated without hesitation "You know Uncle I do, and I got the kinda' manners that don't mind me saying so." The old man laughed, "When I come up next summer it is yours."
The nephew forgot about it, kind of. When Uncle Deany made the next pilgrimage to the lake the following summer he wondered if he remembered. While his manners would allow him to say he wanted the gun, they would not allow him to beg and be a bother. As a Ranger at the campground where they stayed he got out to say hello and greet his family. He didn't ask about the rifle.
He hadn't been there long when the old man came up behind him and said "I bet you thought I forgot huh?" The nephew turned around and observed an old canvas gun scabbard and once removed a Winchester lever action model of 1894 caliber 38-55 Winchester. The uncle handed it over to the nephew. "Now this comes with some conditions, she is old. She is also a family gun. You better never ever sell it."
The nephew wrapped his hand around the fore stock and took the considerable weight of the rifle, immediately realizing he was holding a piece of not only family history but also history in general.  "I promise it will never leave me as long as I am alive."
Loads were promptly made from a good re-loader and it was taken out and test fired. Well benched and braced the young man fired a three shot group into a bulls eye target at 100 yards. Being too far away to see the group, he expected to hit the 12 inch target at that distance maybe. As he approached he observed only one hole. "I figured it was wore out." was his thought he expressed out loud. The hole was off center just a bit from what he could tell. He got closer and noticed the hole was bigger than it should be. When he got up to the target he found while it was just off center about three inches low and to the left, what he thought at distance was one hole turned out to be three holes in a  ragged circle. Taking the target up he looked again to make sure. "Man!" There was no need to shoot any more. That was plenty enough to kill anything he would hunt with it at 100 yards.
It still shoots today and will at some point put meat on the table at least once so he can say it has. The nephew will also pass it along to his sons with the same instructions. The part of the story about the conversation between the old shopkeeper and the uncle is only partly true. The nephew knows the rifle was bought in Chickasha, Oklahoma in the 50's. The conversation and transaction were made up of artistic license. The exchange between the uncle and nephew and the age of the rifle is completely true. I know for a fact it is because I am the nephew.

Wayne Hayes is a State Park Ranger from the great state of Oklahoma

]]><![CDATA[Versatility of the Shotgun: Hunt Anything with a 12 Gauge!]]>Tue, 14 Apr 2020 18:38:47 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/versatility-of-the-shotgun

By Lee Mason

My first gun: Mossberg 500 12 gauge in woodland camo

When I was 12, maybe 13 years old, it came time to get my own gun. My dad asked me what I wanted and suddenly I had some things to consider. A powerful bolt-action deer rifle would be cool. After all, I’d shot my dad’s Savage 110 .270 and to adolescent me it felt like wielding Thor’s hammer. I liked my dad’s old Winchester 94 30-30, but figured I didn’t need my own, I could just borrow his. I had dove hunted with grandma’s single-shot Stevens 12 gauge and it left something to be desired when trying to bring down a bird that could bank harder than an F-16. That’s when my thoughts started wandering to shotguns and my dad brought up the point that you could hunt almost anything with a shotgun. You can pop #8s at doves and quail, #4s at squirrels or turkey. You can blast #4 Buck at coyotes. You can even fling 00 Buck or those big rifled slugs at deer and wild hogs. Dad told me a 20 gauge could do but with a 12 gauge and the right shells you could bring down just about anything. My very first gun would a 12-gauge shotgun.

Like I mentioned, grandma’s old Stevens single shot, despite its inherent reliability and tote-ability left a lot to be desired. It kicked like a mule, had lost its bead sight decades ago and gave you one opportunity to put pellets on target… and if you’ve ever hunted dove over a Texas sunflower field you know one shell isn’t going to cut it. I needed a repeater.

My dad had a Remington 11-87 which he let me use occasionally in lieu of the Stevens. For whatever reason that 11-87 was very finicky. You’d better clean it after shooting it or it might hang-up on you. Also, it didn’t always like lightweight dove loads, sometimes it’d short-cycle and jam. Autos are fine and dandy but ever since then I never could get over my trust issues with them. I needed a pump.

We went to Bass Pro Shop and handled several shotguns and a few rifles just for fun. I remember handling a rifle chambered in 300 WSM (the WSMs had just come out at the time). The salesman talked it up like it was the second coming of the 30-06. I’m glad we didn’t buy into the hype because all those WSMs and WSSMs sure went the way of the Dodo bird. Then we went to Academy Sports. Their prices were a lot better and then I saw what I’d been searching for.

In the case was a woodland camo painted Mossberg 500. I was already big for my age, so the 28” barrel and full-size stock weren’t a big deal, plus I’d grow into them. I liked the safety on the tang right under your thumb instead of on the trigger guard like on a Remington. That display gun was the last in-stock, so they gave us a deal: $189 plus tax.
I put that Mossberg to use during dove season and slayed quite a few and survived a run-in with the game warden who ticketed 13-year-old me for not having a plug in the tube (always check)! Although not a fine over-under or lightning fast auto the 500 did well in the dove fields.

A few years later I got the chance to hunt pheasant in the Texas panhandle near Pampa. Using #4 and #5 high brass loads I was able to bag several and let me tell you, pheasant is one mighty fine tasting bird!

Wild hog sow taken with my Mossberg 500 12 gauge & 00 Buckshot on a Texas WMA

European and Southern style combined with a German Tyrol hat and Liberty Overalls

In late winter and early spring one of my favorite activities is chasing wild hogs on east Texas public land. Despite the good numbers of pigs, it is by no means an easy hunt, with various restrictions and no baiting allowed. Some of the lands are close to towns or near houses. As such the firearms are often restricted to shotguns with slugs or buckshot to reduce the chance of an errant high-velocity rifle bullet finding its way into someone’s living room from afar. I had plans to get a slug barrel for that Mossberg but hadn’t yet, so I loaded up with 3-inch Magnum #00 Buck.

I went to a WMA in northeast Texas where I’d had success before. Setting up along a well-worn hog trail adjacent to a few big oak trees, I sat on the ground and poured some hot coffee from my thermos expecting a long wait. Not 30 minutes had gone by when I heard crunching back in the oaks beyond my sight. It sounded like a large sounder of pigs were having an acorn feeding frenzy! Figuring they’d be distracted, I picked up and circled left around the trees to get a glimpse. About 75 yards away I could make out pigs milling amongst the oaks, too far for a clear shot with a bead-sighted 12 gauge, so I slowly closed in to about 20-25 yards and waited for one of the larger pigs to stand broadside. Small pigs scurried around blocking potential shot opportunities for what seemed like eternity. My arms started getting tired from holding up the big shotgun when suddenly I had a clear line to a better sized hog. BOOM…BOOM! I let one of those 3-inch shells burst, racked the slide and launched another 15 pellets at the hit hog to try and anchor it, but it disappeared amongst the mayhem of what had to be 20 hogs running for cover. I wound up finding the big sow dead as bacon about 50 yards away, piled up from several solid pellet hits through the vitals. Upon quartering her out I found pellets lodged behind the far-side shoulder. None had penetrated completely. That remains the first and only hog I’ve taken with buckshot. Although buckshot proved its lethality, I consider some luck involved as penetration wasn’t great, there was no blood trail and I only stumbled upon the pig by searching in the general direction they all ran. That shotgun had proven its versatility.

H&R Topper 410, my go-to squirrel gun. Tyrol hat for style.

Mossberg Maverick 88 20 gauge, a versatile and affordable shotgun

Stevens 311 20 gauge, a great double barrel shotgun I love for squirrel hunting

Western Auto 12 gauge with slug barrel, my public land hog hunting gun

As the years passed, I acquired several other shotguns of various gauges and action types and could begin to appreciate tailoring a gun to the hunt rather than needing one gun that could do it all. My go-to squirrel gun for familiar woods became an H&R single-shot .410. I like that I can carry 25 of those little shells amongst my pants pockets without lugging a shell bag. For unfamiliar woods where circumstances are less known I tote an old Stevens 311 20g side-by-side. The bigger shells give me longer range and I have a quick follow-up shot if need be. For hogs on public land I wound up getting that slug barrel after all, a 20-inch smooth-bore with rifle sights, and have it mounted on a Western Auto 12g I acquired in a trade. For doves I have a very light and handy Mossberg Maverick 20g that wields a lot better than its 12g cousin while swinging on birds. I would like a good combat shotgun though, and I think my very first gun would fill that bill nicely!

Lee Mason is the owner and craftsman at Mason Leather and has been leatherworking since 2011 and hunting since he could carry a rifle.

]]><![CDATA[Happy Easter! ... And Grand Reopening!]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:09:10 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/happy-easter-and-grand-reopening

Howdy folks!

After a four month hiatus Mason Leather is back open for business! The website has been updated with a lot of new stuff including a photo gallery, FAQ page and this blog. Check it all out and let me know what you think!
To celebrate the reopening use code SPRING10 to get 10% off your entire order!

Have a great Easter, and stay healthy folks!

]]><![CDATA[The blog is open for business! ... and leather orders will reopen soon!]]>Fri, 03 Apr 2020 21:34:52 GMThttps://www.masonleather.com/mason-outdoors/the-blog-is-open-for-business-and-leather-orders-will-reopen-soon

Howdy folks! If you follow my Instagram at all (@cartridge_cuff_guy) you'll know that we've been on a bit of a hiatus here at Mason Leather. Back in December 2019 we found out my dad had a large tumor in his brain, as well as some small cancerous nodes in his chest and hip. Getting him on the path to treatment and recovery was going to be tough, so I shutdown leather orders to focus on that. Fast forward to today April 3, 2020. By heaven's great blessing my dad is starting to show some recovery and treatment is well underway, even in the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. I am looking forward to re-opening the shop soon and going hunting, fishing and spending time with my ol' man again without the specter of cancer at the doorstep. I'll be releasing some new products as well including belt-worn pistol & rifle cartridge pouches, bi-fold wallets and morale patches. Those product designs are ready to go. I'm also hoping to release a few select holster designs in time for Christmas 2020 but still have a lot of R&D to get those rolling. I hope your spring is off to a great start and that you might get to pop a gobbler or tighten some lines on spawning fish soon! I plan to contribute regularly to this blog so check back often and follow my Instagram @cartridge_cuff_guy for the latest updates and announcements!

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