Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

In this Kansas episode of Seek One: The Whitetail Plains is totally different terrain than bowhunting in the Eastern U.S. hardwoods. Follow along as Lee returns to Kansas with a decoy to use on the Plains.

    SEEK ONE

If your state has a deer season in January it’s a good time to deer hunt. In this video Jeff Sturgis breaks the month down and tells us about January’s special opportunities and how to navigate the entire month of January; both Bucks and Does are moving and January is a good time to find deer where you hunt!

   Whitetail Habitat Solutions

Robbie receives his Bushnell game camera pictures of 3 of his stand sites via cell phone daily. Somehow, the late October and early November pics of the ‘Big 10″ buck were always in the brush or behind other deer — so the images were always blurry. However, his extra long G2 and G3 tines on both main beams made him recognizable, even when blurry.

The sitings were random during October and mainly at night. But when the rut kicked off Robbie immediately started seeing daylight pictures of ‘Big 10’ at all 3 of his game camera sites. Below is a slightly blurry pic that caught his attention during the first week of November.

On November 12 he received this picture two hours after sunset.

When I checked the pictures my Moultrie Edge took on November 14 I recognized a picture of ‘Big 10’ that was taken by a game camera I have at a location about 100 yards from my Shed stand. This location is a high spot where bucks frequently come during the rut to check for does and watch for rutting activity to the South, which is where I am hunting.

I immediately phoned Robbie and told him that ‘Big 10’ had been in my area this afternoon. He said that he would shuffle around a couple of business issues and would be down to hunt tomorrow afternoon.

BACK TO PART ONE…

African plains game hunts are ridiculously inexpensive as compared to North American big game hunts.  Elk hunts exceed $10,000, moose hunts are over $20,000, and Canadian combo hunts go for 50K.

I take hunters to Africa for Kudu, impala, and warthog for $5,000 including airfare.  South African safaris are, by far, the cheapest adventure hunt on the planet.  You will see tons of animals and have comfortable camps with great food during perfect weather.

I took my first safari in 1994 and have made 25 since.  This hunt will change your life and here’s why you should do it.

Show Season is Here

Eventually, South African safaris will catch up with other hunting prices, but for now, you will spend a fraction of a North American big game hunt.  Begin your quest by going to outdoor shows happening across the country in January, February, and March.  Talk personally with outfitters, ask questions, and make a plan.

The NRA Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg Pennsylvania is excellent and has 25 African safari vendors.  The Safari Club International Convention is in Nashville Tennesee in February where you will see hunting outfitters from every corner of the world.

WHAT IS CHICKEN FRIED DEER STEAK?

Is it chicken? Is it steak? What the heck is it?!

If you’re not from Texas, this may sound strange to you. Chicken Fried Deer Steak is actually venison steak that has been battered and fried similarly to fried chicken – hence the name!

INGREDIENTS IN CHICKEN FRIED VENISON STEAK

This recipe uses basic ingredients you could already have on hand or else can easily find at any grocery store.

Jeff Sturgis has helped tens of thousands of deerhunters learn vital facts, tips and tactics about whitetail deer with and their habitat. The perfect way to impact and improve your deer hunting habitat is to make your 2023 property and deerhunting plans and get them started in January.

This video is all about doing just that.

    Whitetail Habitat Solutions

This morning I got up at 4:30am, perked some strong black coffee and started to work on the numerous pictures for my 2nd Rut article series for Bowhunting,net. After daylight there was a surprise knock on my door. I called out, “Come on in.” Richey Hayes opened the door to my home-office and walked inside.

He had driven down last night, got a good sleep in the deer-lease trailer, and got up early to hunt. This was the last weekend that our Buck Season was open and he intended to be on stand when one of the nice bucks in his latest game-camera pictures made a return visit.

He arrived at his stand a good hour and a half before sunrise. That was a good thing because the wind had punched in his Pop-Up-Ground-Blind and ripped the ties strings loose on two sides of the 8-foot high platform that the blind was on. The damage was  caused by the high winds during our recent sub zero freezing spell.

Richey climbed up the ladder to the platform. There was work to get done, in the dark no less, before he was ready to hunt.

He finished just in time to see the shadowy shape of a wide antlered Buck walk around in the dark open spot that the blind and he were. Soon another deer shadow showed up and a few minutes later the faint daylight turned it into a young six-point  buck.

Two weeks ago I decided to bowhunt a ground blind stand in an area I call ‘The Last Barn.’ I took along a small Stool and my new CenterPoint Wrath 430X crossbow with 4 bolts in its attached bowquiver and my Minolta camera. In my pants pockets were my iPhone and Rangefinder. This year my hunting license wasn’t in my wallet. It was on the State’s iPhone App.

Half way to where I intended to hunt I noticed a lone Doe in a small opening on the same deer trail that led me to my Stand. The Doe was 80 yards ahead of me and standing close to a tree that always hosts well worked scrapes. The Doe had not seen me so I eased over to a nearby large tree and waited and watched.

Minutes later a young 8-pointer hurried out of the thick trees and chased the Doe around and away. I had all ready zoomed in on the buck and doe and took their picture. (SEE ABOVE) Notice that the buck is licking his nose, a sign he is in rut mode.

After they were out of sight I checked my watch and settled on waiting another 20 minutes before continuing on to the stand. In a few minutes a second lone Doe went to the Scrape site and licked and marked the limbs above the Scrape. In a little while the Doe started walking in my direction.

There were scrapes that way too.

In the late 80’s I met a guy who was to became a true friend as well as a terrific bowhunting buddy. I was in Dallas at the time and owned a mail order camouflage company named Sticks N’ Limbs. Robbie Cramer was a top executive at the mail service company that I used for my companies mailings.

One afternoon we were working on business stuff when he switched the subject to deer hunting. He told me that his Grandfather took him deer hunting when he was a kid and they went for the first time when Robbie was 8 years old.

His Grand dad loved deer hunting and made sure Robbie got a good introduction to hunting. And that year Robbie shot a nice 8-pointer with his dad’s rifle. They continued to deerhunt together and they also hunted dove, quail and ducks.

Then Robbie switched the subject again, saying he was interested in trying bowhunting but he didn’t know what he needed to do to get started. I told him that I was “the man for the job.” My bowhunting buddy “The Duck” had a PSE bow for sale and I called him up and he came over with the bow and some arrows.

The mail service company had a bunch of employees and mailed millions of bulk mail materials out of  their 10,000 square foot building. So Robbie cleared out a shooting area and tried out the bow. Actually, he shot it more accurately than most newbees do.

Kaitlyn Maus bowhunts from a Tree Saddle in a Kansas Public Land area. This video is well done and captures the hunting strategy and deerhunting skills that Kaitlyn has honed through her bowhunts.

    Kaitlyn Maus Outdoors

The Kansas wind is blasting hard. But picking the right spot to bowhunt Is what George Winters knows how to do.

George sets his treestand up where bucks are rubbing and marking trees and making scrapes.

    George Winters

Whitetail hunters expecting success in the late season first need to pass a meteorologist 101 course. You need to be able to forecast the weather to map an appropriate strategy. Fortunately, that is easier than ever today. As a novice whitetail hunter, I often rudely hushed my spouse so that I could intently study the 6 o’clock evening TV weather for the next day’s hunt. Today weather streams at you nonstop from online and smartphone sources.

The smartphone revolution alone allows instant updates on weather, especially while using the Moultrie Mobile app with precision forecasts built in. Not only does an accurate forecast aid in whether you should skip a day due to hazardous weather, but the preciseness of modern forecasting also allows you see hourly changes. Everything from cloud cover to wind-direction changes and rain to snow affect your whitetail game-day planning.

With weather at your fingertips there are no excuses for missing an incoming front, pinpointing the passing of a front or foreseeing future wintry estimates to ask for a day off work.

What forecast are you looking for to optimize late-season success? Severe winter weather that arrives with cold temperatures and moisture. Study the path of the storm, its estimated arrival, length of stay and the estimated time of its passing. This entire period is crucial for late-season, winter buck success.

WEATHER MATTERS

Evolution and instinct combine to make whitetails stay put as long as possible for winter survival. Bedding longer, day or night, conserves more energy. Anytime a whitetail moves, even on the hunt for browse, it burns calories and burning calories means burning fat. Depending on where a whitetail calls home, it may bed 70 percent or more of the day during the winter as a survival tactic. Northern bucks bed longer than Southern bucks, but even bucks living in a snow-free zone use the stationary tactic to survive winter stress.

Merry Christmas To You. It’s all about having a White Christmas — in the Deer Woods!

Understanding the actual facts about deer vision and how their eyes see will improve your deerhunting success.

As prey animals, deer are well equipped to detect and avoid predators, and one of their primary tools of defense is their vision. Deer hunters can be more successful when they understand the strengths and weaknesses of deer eyes. Reviewing scientific research from a number of sources, especially work at the University of Georgia Deer Lab, we compiled the seven most important facts for deer hunters to know about deer vision. Combined with professional wild deer photography from Tes Randle Jolly, the science helps us see how deer see.

20/60

Deer eyes have pupils that are wide, horizontal slits, as you can see in the image above. This shape allows them to let in more light than human pupils can, especially as they open wider in low-light conditions. It also is important in detecting movement across a wide, horizontal view where danger is most likely to appear. While this pupil shape helps them monitor a broader area, they sacrifice sharpness. Normal human eyesight is 20/20.

Deer have a normal daylight eyesight of about 20/60, which means they see 3 times less clearly than humans! If you have ever made eye contact with a deer for what felt like an eternity, it is likely because they are trying to figure out exactly what they’re looking at.

20x

Deer and humans both have photoreceptors in their eyes called rods and cones. Rods are responsible for light absorption and are what animals use to see in low light, while cones are responsible for color vision and distinguishing fine details.

Deer have fewer cones but more rods than humans. Thus, deer see better in low light than we do, but they see with less clarity. They also perceive color differently.

It is important to realize that during the 2nd Rut the bucks are back in their Home Territory.

After the original Rut, the bucks return home. During the ‘Peak Rut’ period bucks are hitting it hard in their pursuit of estrus does. They are on the go every day and night — once they discovered their first estrus doe of the year.

Three big changes take place every annual Whitetail Rut period.

So after the main rut bucks are worn out; dog tired, underfed and needing rest and sleep. So when they go home they lay up in one of their familiar, remote, safe places. And concentrate on sleeping and eating.

Plus, another thing the bucks do when they return to their home area is they frequently go nocturnal. At that time hunters everywhere report that the deer have “disappeared.” Actually, it seems like they are gone, but they are not.

First off, the states where I had deer hunted in my earlier years did not have archery seasons during the Whitetail Rut. But in the 80’s I had moved to Texas and after joining an archery club I met some bowhunters and that led to getting on the ‘deer lease’ that I am still on after 30 years.

In mid December of my second year on the hunting lease, I was walking slowly through the woods on the way to my newest hunting spot that I called the ‘Pocket.’ I couldn’t know it but my deerhunting life was about to change for the better, big time.

I noticed a nice 8-point 40 yards to my right! He was laying down and a Doe was RIGHT NEXT to him!

I froze. The buck looked my way. Then he turned his attention back to the Doe. He and the Doe DID NOT CARE that I was there!

Although I’m sure I could have, it was further than I wanted to shoot; and I wasn’t sure what to do, but I did not want continue standing that close to them. So I took several slow steps to get completely out of their view and then continued my walk to the ‘Point.’

As I grew up bowhunting for deer became a regular event for me, every single year. Each year I learned important things that I didn’t know. I found new areas where deer were. And primarily I learned where to find bucks.

Back then, hunting with a bow or a gun was “bucks only.” Does, Fawns and Spikes were not legal harvests. Baiting was illegal. Seasons were short, 2 to 4 weeks, tops. But, the #1 hindrance to learning was there was very limited information on bowhunting; no magazines for bowhunters, no books, no newsletters and the internet was many years away.

Honestly, the way most people learned about deer or bowhunting was to talk to people in archery clubs as well as to other hunters while on a hunt. However, my personal learning method included hunting more days than anyone else, hunting from the ground and from trees, and walking the woods throughly, looking for deer trails and tracks and deer. There were no portable treestands yet so I either sat on a limb or nailed a board to sit on in a tree.

Looking back, one of the major things that I learned was how and where to find Bucks. Locating where Does bedded of traveled was easy. Locating bucks was hard.

Now let’s jump ahead to the late 80’s. As I said previously, I had decided to hunt for the entire deer season, 3 months solid. One month in, I knew that I had done the right thing, this was something significant in terms of my ‘deerhunting with a bow life.’ I could clearly see how little I had actually learned in my decades of bowhunting deer, does and bucks.

Nicole Reeve of Driven Hunter TV makes one of her family’s favorite dishes in Driven In The Kitchen — she makes a venison roast. It is an easy meal to prepare and it tastes great!

    Driven Hunter

How To Get Deer To Come Out During The Day.
Daylight deer activity naturally decreases as the deer hunting seasons goes on. Deerhunting pressure, changes in food sources and other factors diminish daylight deer activity. And we can only control what we do on out own hunting land.

But you can increase their activity during the day.

Here is how…

The smell of bacon cooking on the skillet greets my senses this morning as I reflect on time spent with Ron and Karen Douglas the hard working, proud owners, of Xtreme World Class Whitetails located in Millersburg, Ohio. They, along with their talented guide staff, have made a lasting impression on this hunter.

I arrived at Xtreme World Class Whitetails on Thursday evening, November 2nd. Not knowing what to expect I stepped into a world any hunter would love. On entering the lodge, I was greeted by Ron with a strong and friendly handshake. My eyes looked around the room and there were mounts and sheds everywhere.

A great mule deer mount is showcased in the main room. killed by Karen. As I was checking out the surroundings, Karen was working on cleaning up after dinner and asked if I was hungry. I took her up on her offer and sat down to a warm plate of steak, shrimp, cauliflower and other delicious sides. Karen explained that every meal is eaten as a family and everyone sits and eat as one group.

After dinner, Karen took me upstairs to my room, tastefully decorated with great wildlife artwork and all the beds were decked out in camo sheets. They have the capability of sleeping large groups of hunters if you want to bring down a group of your buddies to hunt. There is no stone unturned when it comes to them wanting you to feel at home. I was introduced to another hunter, Jeff, who was also from Pennsylvania. He had hunted that day and told me he was really impressed with the hunting and the guides. I was excited to get out into the stand the next morning so I headed to bed.

Friday morning started with a great breakfast and conversation about the hunt. I rode with Lauren and Lee to where we would set up and hunt for the day. We were tucked in a ground blind/shooting house that was on top of a ridge, overlooking a thick grassy area with lots of trees. There were acorns everywhere. I placed two Buck Cages out in front of me at about 25 yards. The wind was swirling a bit and was to get stronger as the day progressed. I got my rangefinder, nocked a BEA Zombie Slayer on my Athens Revelation 6, and was ready for action.